In the Beginning
by Fish Stick Friday
Summary: Often, writers write about the four boys being friends from the first time they met playing peewee hockey. What if that wasn't the case? Take a look at a different pre-BTR origins story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: When authors write stories about the BTR guys as little kids, they end up being some of my favorite stories. With that being said, I thought I'd take my shot at it, but I'm going to try a different approach. An approach that I feel is more realistic. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

It was a blustery winter day in Minnesota. The temperature outside was a frigid 13 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -22 degrees Fahrenheit. There was a blizzard raging outside. However, that didn't stop a group of five year-olds from gathering at an indoor skating rink to play some peewee hockey.

Everyone who was anyone in Minnesota played hockey. Heck, little kids were practically bred to eat, breathe, and live hockey. Every little boy and girl was groomed in the hopes of one day having some sort of career in hockey. That was the dream.

A small boy with pale skin and dark hair broke away from the other little kids with the puck. It was clear that he was the fastest skater out of all the little boys on the rink. As he got closer and closer to the goal, the goalie's tiny body tensed with anticipation.

The pale-skinned boy shoved the hockey puck into the back of the net with his hockey stick. A little Latino boy with a black helmet checked him into the boards too little too late. Had he been just a little quicker, he might have been able to prevent the pale-skinned boy from scoring.

The little pale-skinned boy's tiny body slumped to the cold ice beneath him. He tilted his head toward the ceiling and started crying hysterically.

A tall (well tall for a five year-old) boy skated over to the crying boy, crouched down beside him, and wrapped his arms around him.

"Are you okay, Logie?" the tall tan boy asked.

'Logie' sniffled. He pointed a gloved finger at the small Latino boy accusatorily. "No! He's a big meanie!"

By this time, another boy had skated over to the three other boys. He was the second tallest out of all the little kids on the rink. This boy had dirty blonde hair and pronounced eyebrows.

"I am not!" the Latino boy said, offended. "I'm little."

"You should at least say you're sorry. That really hurt!" 'Logie' said, tears still in his eyes and his voice.

"You heard him! Say you're sorry!" the tall, tan boy said.

The tall kid with eyebrows shoved the tall, tan boy with such force that he nearly toppled over. After catching himself, the tall, tan boy narrowed his eyes at the boy with dirty blonde hair.

"Don't tell him what to do! You don't have to do anything, Carlitos!" the blond boy replied.

The little Latino boy hid behind the tall blonde boy. He hated when people fought. He nervously looked back and forth between his friend and the pale-skinned boy's friend. He hadn't meant to check 'Logie' into the boards; he just couldn't stop in time.

"Don't push me!" the tall, tan boy said, before shoving the boy with eyebrows. "Just cuz your team is losing!"

'Carlitos' peeked his head out from behind the tall blonde boy. He frowned as he took in the sight of 'Logie' still crying, his little white hockey helmet bobbing up and down.

"I'm sorry, Logie. You can shove me back if you wanna," 'Carlitos' said meekly.

"He won't, but I will!" the tall tan boy said, before he jostled past the tall blonde boy and pushed 'Carlitos' down. 'Carlitos' fell on his butt and started crying as well.

"Kendall, he hurt me! Waaah!" 'Carlitos' sobbed.

"James, that wasn't very nice of you," 'Logie' commented.

James bowed his head in shame. Even so, he still took up a protective stance in front of 'Logie.' Meanwhile, the pale-skinned boy gave 'Carlitos' a sympathetic look. He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault that the little Latino boy got hurt.

"No one does that to my friend!" Kendall exclaimed, before launching himself at James.

He tackled James to the ice, and the two of them rolled around on the rink. They were tugging at each other's jersey. They were punching, kicking, and squirming. Kendall tried to wrap his hands around James' little throat and vice versa.

In the meantime, 'Carlitos' got up and skated over to 'Logie.' He held out his hand for 'Logie' to shake.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry about before. I'm Carlos by the way," the Latino boy said.

'Logie' shook Carlos' hand. Carlos pulled the pale-skinned boy to his feet.

"I'm Logan. I'm a little sore, but I'll be okay," Logan answered.

"You're really fast," Carlos said before looking down at his skates. "I wish I was as fast as you."

Logan bashfully rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not that fast," Logan replied.

"Yeah huh!" Carlos exclaimed moodily.

James' dad and Kendall's mom had ran out onto the skating rink. They managed to pull James and Kendall apart, and they held onto their respective child as they continued to try to scratch, claw, and kick at one another.

"James, that's enough!" Mr. Diamond said in a firm voice.

"Kendall Donald Knight!" Mrs. Knight scolded.

"But Daddy," James whined. "He shoved me, and his friend knocked Logie into the wall!"

"Mommy, he shoved Carlitos and made him cry!" Kendall complained.

Carlos' dad had joined the other adults as well on the rink. Carlos' face lit up with pure excitement upon seeing his daddy. He made a mad dash for him, almost face planting several times in the process. Carlos' dad scooped him up in his arms, and soon Carlos was sitting perched on top of his father's shoulders.

Logan cautiously skated over to Carlos' dad, and tugged on his pant leg. When Carlos' dad looked down at Logan, he saw that the little boy was looking at him curiously.

"You must be Carlos' dad," Logan said. "I'm Logan."

"It's very nice to meet you, Logan," Mr. Garcia responded.

"Are you a police officer?"

"Why yes I am."

James skated over to Logan and grabbed his hand. He pulled Logan behind him as he skated away from Carlos and Kendall. James turned back around and stuck out his tongue at Kendall and Carlos.

"C'mon Logie, my daddy says it's time to go home. He says you and I can have a sleepover tonight," James said.

"Bye, Carlos!" Logan called out over his shoulder.

Carlos waved back excitedly as he shouted, "Bye, Logan!"

Only Kendall, Kendall's mom, Carlos, and Carlos' dad were left on the rink. Kendall's eyes never left James as he got off the rink. Kendall glared daggers at James' back. Carlos frowned when he saw the look on his friend's face.

"You really don't like him, do you, Kendall?" Carlos asked.

"No! He's a big jerk!" Kendall said in a huff.

"Kendall!" Mrs. Knight reprimanded.

"What? It's true!"

The four of them started to leave the rink as well.

"Logan's really fast! I bet he's better at hockey than you, Kendall," Carlos remarked.

Kendall scoffed. "Yeah right, Carlos! Just cuz he's faster than me doesn't mean he's better than me! I bet I could skate circles around him!"

"If you ask me, it sounds like someone is afraid of a little constipation," Carlos commented.

Mr. Garcia chuckled, and Mrs. Knight clamped a hand over her mouth in order to stifle her laughter.

"Logan seems pretty cool though. And nice. A lot nicer than that James!" Kendall said.

"Honey, you may not see it, but you and James have a lot in common," Mrs. Knight said.

"No, we don't!" Kendall protested.

"Yeah you do. You're both protective of your friends. Who knows? Someday, all four of you might be the best of friends," Kendall's mom stated.

Kendall started laughing obnoxiously, clearly not amused.

"Ha! That will never happen, Mommy!" Kendall replied.

**The End?**

**A/N: So if you've read my author's notes for Chapter 4 and 5 of "No Way Out," then you know that I needed to write something like this. Just in case you were wondering, I put a question mark after "The End" because I may or may not continue this. Like if I were to stop it here, I think the ending is fine. However, they're not all friends yet, so I could keep it going at least until they become friends if you want me to. I'll tell you what. I'll make a poll and put it on my profile page. But in the meantime, I'll have this story be "Complete." **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As you can see, I decided to continue writing this story. The whole point of me writing this story like this is that I didn't want all four of the boys to be instant friends. Just add water. Lol. No, but really; I think I like writing it this way so much BECAUSE it is so different from the way most authors write how the boys meet. I take great pride in my eccentricity; I take great pride in being a pioneer of sorts. But anyways, there's still tension; things haven't been resolved, and so I think I HAVE to continue on with this story. Plus, it's what you all want…**

**Disclaimer: This is only for entertainment purposes.**

**In the Beginning**

It was the boys' first day of pre-Kindergarten. Logan and Carlos were already in the classroom after Logan's grandma dropped Logan off and Carlos' dad dropped him off. James and Kendall had yet to arrive. Upon seeing Logan, Carlos raced over to him with a big smile on his face.

"Hey Logie! You're in my class too? How cool is that?" Carlos commented.

"Hi…uh…is it Carlitos? Or is it Carlos? Which do you like better?" Logan asked.

Carlos merely shrugged his tiny shoulders.

"Carlitos it is then. That is unless you like being called Carlos better. Not that there's anything wrong with being called Carlitos. I think it's a pretty cool nickname myself, but what do I know? I'm only five," Logan rambled.

Carlos grabbed Logan's hand, and pulled him behind him as he made a beeline for the toys he saw. "Come on, Logie. Let's go play!"

The two little boys were in the middle of building a huge tower of blocks that teetered precariously over both of them. While they were building, Logan tried to put down a solid foundation, and he kept carefully adjusting the tower when it started to wobble. Meanwhile, Carlos just kept adding more blocks to the tower not caring whether it made the tower sturdy or not. When the tower was taller than the both of them, Carlos stood up on his tiptoes to add more blocks.

It was at this time that James' dad dropped him off at the classroom. The first thing James saw was Carlos and Logan playing together. He wriggled out of his backpack; it fell to the floor. James' eyes darkened at the sight of Carlos playing with _his _Logan. He was James' friend first!

James hid behind a bookcase. He peeked his small head around the corner.

"Psst, Logan," James whispered.

Logan's tiny head perked up as he scanned the room. He thought he heard someone whisper his name. That was when he saw James hiding behind a bookcase. Logan left Carlos and walked over to his other friend. In the meantime, Carlos continued to add blocks to the already teetering tower.

"Hey James! You're in this class too, huh?" Logan asked.

"Yep. Stay here, okay?" James said.

"O…kay…"

James left a very confused Logan hidden behind the bookcase. Logan had no idea what James was up to or why he asked him to stay. He saw James approach Carlos. However, Carlos was too focused on building a tower to notice James approaching. James got on the opposite side of the tower and pushed it over, the blocks raining down on Carlos.

Little Carlos fell on his butt, and immediately started bawling. Logan rushed out from behind the bookcase to make sure Carlos was okay. James was pointing and laughing at a crying Carlos. By now, Logan had knelt down beside Carlos, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Where does it hurt?" Logan asked, as he surveyed Carlos for injuries.

"My head," Carlos replied, as he rubbed the top of his head, hissing as that only caused him more pain.

Logan examined Carlos' head, and was horrified when he saw that there was indeed a bump on the top of his head. He then rounded on James who was still pointing and laughing at Carlos.

"That wasn't very nice, James!" Logan said angrily.

"Lighten up, Logan. It was funny and you know it!" James replied, smirking.

Little did the three boys know that they weren't the only ones who saw what happened. Kendall's mom had just dropped Kendall off when James knocked the tower on top of Carlos; Kendall saw everything.

Kendall charged over towards James, and tackled him to the ground. He sat on top of his chest, and started raining down rights and lefts. Logan and Carlos didn't know what to make of this new development. Their Pre-Kindergarten teacher pulled a squirming Kendall off James.

"No fighting!" their Pre-Kindergarten teacher said.

XXXXX

It was now naptime, and every student had a little mat and pillow. Everyone was fast asleep except for James who was tossing and turning. He just couldn't get comfortable. His face was marred by bruises from when Kendall was punching him earlier.

He opened his eyes, and saw that Carlos scooted over to Logan's mat, and rested his head on top of Logan's chest. When Logan's chest rose and fell as he breathed, Carlos' head rose and fell with him. However, it didn't seem to bother Carlos one bit.

James frowned. He thought he had already taught Carlos his lesson when he pushed the tower of block on top of him, but apparently not. He didn't like the idea of Carlos and Logan being friends if it meant that he would lose Logan's friendship in the process.

He crawled over to Logan's mat, and grabbed him by the arm, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, afraid that he might wake Logan. He was relieved when Logan didn't stir. James pulled Logan out from underneath Carlos, Carlos' head bouncing off the carpeted floor. James then dragged Logan over to his mat. James placed Logan's head on his chest. Now, James had no trouble falling asleep.

When Carlos woke up from his nap, he was confused. He wasn't on his own mat, and he was pretty sure that he was resting his head on Logan's chest, but Logan was nowhere near him. He looked around the classroom and soon spotted Logan laying down with his head on top of James' chest.

"Carlos, what's wrong?" Kendall asked, sitting up from his mat.

Carlos didn't verbally answer Kendall, but pointed his finger over at James and Logan. Kendall glared at the sight. He couldn't stand James from the moment he met him. James certainly didn't help his case when he dumped a tower of blocks on Carlos earlier in the day.

"I thought Logie was my friend. So then why is he sleeping with James?" Carlos asked, his lower lip quivering.

Kendall was instantly at his friend's side, and pulled him into a hug.

"Don't worry, Carlitos. I'll make him pay," Kendall said.

Carlos pulled back from Kendall's embrace, and shook his head vigorously.

"Oh no, Kendall! I can't ask you to do that!" Carlos commented.

"You don't have to. I _want_ to do this. Nobody hurts my friend and gets away with it!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Just don't hurt him, Kendall. Please? For me?" Carlos asked.

"Sure," Kendall replied, giving Carlos a toothy grin. "No problem."

XXXXX

The class was playing outside. James had to run inside to use the restroom real quick, so that left Logan all by himself outside. Carlos quickly approached Logan.

"Hey Logie, wanna play tag?" Carlos asked.

"Okay," Logan answered, before clapping Carlos on the shoulder. "You're it!"

"Hey! No fair!"

Logan took off running, and Carlos was right on his tail. Both boys were laughing the whole time. Logan was the faster of the two boys, but Carlos had him cornered. Logan was on one side of the swing set while Carlos was on the other. Every time, Logan made a move, Carlos mirrored him, cutting him off at the pass.

Kendall was lurking in the shadows. He hadn't told Carlos to distract Logan, but he was pleased nonetheless that Logan was distracted anyways. Kendall hadn't even told Carlos what he had in store for Logan, but with Logan's back to Kendall, this couldn't get any better.

It had rained for most of the day yesterday, so there were still several muddy spots in the grass. Kendall started to sneak up behind Logan. Carlos' eyes widened when he saw an approaching Kendall.

"Logie, behind you," Carlos warned.

"Nice try, Carlitos, but I'm not falling for that!" Logan replied.

"No, really. Behind you."

Kendall grabbed Logan firmly by the shoulders, causing the smaller boy to jump slightly. Then Kendall threw Logan into a big mud puddle. There was a squishing sound as Logan fell face first into the mud. He sat up, but remained sitting in the mud as he started crying, mud dripping down his face.

"Good job, Carlos," Kendall said.

Logan turned to Carlos, hurt in his eyes.

"You knew about this?" Logan demanded accusatorily.

"Yes, but I didn't know what he was going to do! I swear!" Carlos exclaimed.

"But you knew he was going to do _something_, didn't you?"

Carlos didn't respond right away, but that was all the answer Logan needed. He dramatically turned his head away from Carlos. He couldn't stand to look at him anymore. Even though he hadn't been hurt or shoved in mud himself, there were tears in Carlos' eyes.

"I thought you were my friend!" Logan exclaimed, still refusing to look at Carlos or a triumphant looking Kendall.

"I am!" Carlos responded.

"Some friend you are!"

James entered the playground at this time. He immediately saw Logan sitting in the mud crying his eyes out. In no time at all, James was at Logan's side, pulling him up to his feet, none too pleased that he got all muddy himself in the process.

"What happened? Why are you all muddy?" James asked.

"He pushed me," Logan answered, pointing at Kendall. Then, Logan pointed at a sobbing Carlos. "And he was in on it too!"

James took up a protective stance in front of Logan. He got up in Kendall's face, standing toe-to-toe with him.

"Leave _my_ friend alone! Both of you!" James yelled, looking from Kendall to Carlos and back again. "Come on, Logan! Let's go get cleaned up."

James grabbed Logan's hand, and headed back into the classroom with Logan in tow. Carlos watched Logan's retreating form sadly. How could this have happened? He and Logan had been playing together all day! They were friends just a couple of minutes ago!

"What did you do that for, Kendall?" Carlos demanded.

"I told you; nobody hurts _my_ friend and gets away with it!"

"But _Logan_ didn't hurt me! _James_ did!"

"I saw how hurt you were when Logan took a nap with James instead of you."

Carlos sighed. He thought Kendall was talking about the tower of blocks falling on him earlier. Sure, he was upset that Logan rather sleep with James than him, but that didn't mean that he wanted Kendall to push Logan into the mud.

"As for the blocks, did you ever stop to think that maybe Logan was in on it too?" Kendall asked.

"You're wrong, Kendall. Logan would _never_ do that to me!" Carlos remarked.

Kendall begged to differ. Just like he used Carlos to distract Logan in the playground, Kendall wouldn't be surprised if James used Logan to distract Carlos when they were playing with blocks in the classroom. Kendall could tell that James and Logan were really tight, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if James _and_ Logan came up with the idea of the tower of blocks falling on Carlos.

"Besides, you don't need Logan. You've got me!" Kendall said, wrapping an arm around Carlos' shoulders.

"But I _like_ Logan! He's really nice! And fun! And even _you_ said he was cool!" Carlos retorted.

"Well, maybe not _cool_. But he's _alright_. I guess."

"Then why did you push him in the mud?"

"I did it for you."

"But I didn't want to push him in mud!"

Kendall fell silent. He didn't want to fight with Carlos. He was his best friend. It's just that he couldn't bring himself to tell Carlos that he felt like he was losing him…to Logan. Kendall was Carlos' friend first! Even now, Carlos was _defending_ Logan!

"Carlos!" Mr. Garcia called out.

"Papi!" Carlos shouted back excitedly, as he took off running.

Carlos' dad scooped his little boy up in his arms and then twirled him around in the air like an airplane. Carlos was smiling and laughing the whole time. Even his dad had a huge grin on his face.

Kendall was worried. He didn't really want Carlos and Logan to be friends, but he didn't want to lose Carlos either. Maybe…maybe he, Carlos, and Logan could all be friends. In order for that to happen, Logan would need to forgive Kendall first. One thing was for sure though; even if he, Carlos, and Logan could all be friends, Kendall would _never_ be friends with James.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Did this suck or what? I feel like the first chapter was so much better. I'm sorry if this didn't live up to the expectations set by the first chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: My fan fiction wife forbade me to start any new stories, so unfortunately, that means no "Doppelganger" for awhile. However, I'm going to compensate by bumping up the rating in this story to T because of what will happen in this chapter of this story. Technically, I'm not starting a new story, so I'm not breaking any rules. Lol. Anyways, don't blame me for what will happen in this chapter; blame the KCAs. Had BTR won even one award they were nominated for…**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Logan Henderson won't even follow me on Twitter because of what I do to his character in my stories. I'm just kidding about that last part. Lol.**

**In the Beginning**

It was the boys' first peewee hockey game. Unlike practice, they were now on the same team. Because this was only peewee hockey rather than professional hockey, the boys didn't really play any positions. Basically, everyone other than the goalie was eligible to go after the puck.

Since all the players were only five years old, each period only lasted five minutes instead of the typical twenty minutes. They still played three periods though.

Kendall's team wore maroon and gold jerseys with black helmets while the opposing team wore blue and silver jerseys with white helmets.

Kendall won the face-off for his team and made his way to the opposing team's goal. Logan had left everyone else in the dust as he quickly skated towards the other team's goalie. No one, not even anyone from the other team, could match Logan's speed.

"Kendall, I'm open!" Logan shouted.

Kendall saw that Logan was open, but he was still somewhat wary of Logan. After all, he and Carlos were starting too get a bit too close for comfort. Logan had already forgiven Carlos for his role in Kendall shoving him in the mud at Pre-Kindergarten.

Kendall ignored the fact that Logan was open, and steadily approached the goal himself. When he skated where he wanted to, he tried to knock the puck into the back of the goal with his hockey stick, but the other team's goalie blocked the shot.

Now the other team had control of the puck, and through a series of passes, they managed to effortlessly maneuver the puck to the opposite side of the rink. One of the players was breaking away from the pack. The kid with number eleven on his jersey scored for the blue and silver team. They took an early 1-0 lead.

James shot Kendall dirty looks that seemed to go unnoticed by Kendall. James couldn't figure out why Kendall wouldn't pass to Logan who was clearly wide open. Had he done that, _they_ could have been in the lead! James already didn't like Kendall as it was, and this wasn't helping how he felt about him.

At first, Logan was hurt that Kendall didn't pass to him, but he quickly got over it. The gears in his head were turning and he was inwardly giving Kendall the benefit of doubt. He was rationalizing Kendall's actions. Maybe he was confident in his ability to score. Maybe Kendall didn't know that he was wide open and in scoring range.

The goalie on Kendall's team put the puck back into play. Soon, James had possession of the puck. He spotted Kendall and Carlos. They were the closest teammates to him, but he didn't really want to pass the puck to either of them. Logan was already on the opposite side of the rink naturally. Before James could decide what to do, a kid from the opposing team had managed to steal the puck from him.

Carlos was glad that he was wearing a helmet because it hid his frown. He loved hockey, but it seemed like all he did was skate around the rink. He very rarely ever got possession of the puck. It made him feel kind of useless. He wasn't as good as Kendall. He wasn't as fast as Logan.

A kid with the number eight on his blue and silver jersey was rapidly approaching the opposing team's goal. Carlos was the closest defender to him. He checked number eight into the boards, and surprised himself when he actually had control of the puck now.

"I got it! I got it!" Carlos cheered loudly.

"Go, Carlos! Go!" Kendall urged.

Carlos shook himself from his thoughts, and obeyed Kendall's command. He started skating. He wasn't used to this at all. Should he pass? Should he shoot? When should he shoot? Where should he shoot from?

"Carlos! You're goin' the wrong way!" James shouted.

But it was already too late. Carlos had already slapped the puck with his hockey stick and scored…for the other team. Now the blue and silver team were leading 2-0 just as the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first period.

As all the players skated off the ice, James roughly jostled Carlos as he passed him, muttering, "Nice work, stupid!" under his breath.

Carlos whimpered as he was on the verge of tears. Yeah, he made a mistake, but he wasn't stupid. At least he didn't think so…

"You can't talk to my friend like that!" Kendall exclaimed, pushing James.

Their coach blew his whistle so loudly that every kid with a maroon and gold jersey cringed and tried to plug their ears even though the fact that they were still wearing their helmets made that task impossible.

"Knock it off, you two!" their coach said with authority.

XXXXX

The two teams switched sides at the start of the second period; now the maroon and gold goalie was on the other side of the rink and the blue and silver goalie was where the maroon and gold goalie was during the first period.

Once again, Kendall won the face-off. Once again, it was a mirror image of how the first period had started; Logan had positioned himself in front of the goalie way before anyone could even catch up to him. Once again, Kendall saw that he was open.

"_Kendall, you need to stop hogging the puck. If you see that someone else is open, then you need to pass it to him. Understand?"_

His coach's words rang in his ears. Kendall didn't very much like the idea of someone else taking his spotlight, but he passed the puck to an open Logan, groaning loudly all the while.

Logan was doing a bit of mental math now that he had control of the puck. No one would reach him for awhile, so he still had some time. He was trying to calculate trajectory and he was trying to decide at which angle he should hit the puck with his hockey stick.

"Shoot!" James yelled.

Logan jumped slightly at the unexpected yell. He slapped the puck with his hockey stick. It sailed right beneath the goalie's armpit, bounced off the post of the goal, and ricocheted into the back of the net. Now they were only down 2-1.

James pumped his fist in the air in celebratory fashion. Logan bashfully rubbed the back of his neck as all the parents on the home side of the ice rink erupted into loud applause. Kendall rolled his eyes, jealous that Logan was getting the star treatment instead of him.

Logan's goal lit a fire underneath Kendall. He started to play way more aggressively than before. He was checking blue and silver jerseys into the boards right and left. It wasn't long before he had control of the puck himself.

It was no surprise that Logan was open again, but Kendall wasn't about to be outdone, so he ignored Logan completely, and approached the opposing team's goalie himself. He faked the goalie out before knocking the puck into the goal. The game was all tied up as the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the second period.

"That's my boy!" Mrs. Knight shouted, standing up and cheering rather loudly.

Kendall and Logan traded looks with one another as they skated off the ice. It was almost like Kendall wordlessly told Logan, "Anything you can do, I can do better."

XXXXX

Once more, the teams switched sides for the third and final period of the game. For the third time in a row, Kendall won the face-off. He tried for a hat trick, but was unsuccessful this time.

The kid with an eight on his jersey was rapidly approaching the maroon and gold team's goal. He passed to number eleven. Number eleven skated closer still to the goal, and took a shot, but the shot was blocked.

James got control of the puck. He passed to Carlos just before he was checked into the boards. Carlos was scared that he would score for the other team again, so he just got rid of the puck as soon as he could by hitting it as hard and as far as he could. Now, everyone was skating towards the loose puck.

Of course, Logan was the first one to reach it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Kendall was wide open after Carlos checked the defender guarding him into the boards. Logan remembered what their coach said to Kendall at the end of the first period, and passed to Kendall. Kendall was all too happy to take the shot, but it was blocked.

The goalie passed it to a kid with the number thirteen on his blue and silver jersey. Kendall hurriedly checked the kid into the boards, and Logan swooped in and scooped up the loose puck. Nobody stood between him and the goalie. He scanned the rink and saw that nobody else was open.

Logan's feet started skating of their own accord without him even realizing it. The blue and silver goalie's body tensed up anticipating the upcoming goal attempt. Logan knocked the puck into the back of the net right in between the goalie's legs. The referee blew his whistle signaling the end of the game.

Everyone on the home side of the rink jumped to their feet and gave their team a standing ovation cheering, clapping, and whistling like the proud parents they were. Logan averted his gaze, and stared at the ice beneath his skates instead.

James and Carlos were beaming beneath their helmets. Their first peewee hockey game _ever_, and they won! How awesome was that? They both excitedly made their way towards Logan to congratulate him for scoring the winning shot.

However, they weren't the first ones to reach Logan. Number eleven on the opposing team, who happened to be the team captain, reached Logan first. He towered over him by a head and a half.

"Hey, good game!" Logan said, holding out his hand for the other kid to shake.

"You got lucky!" the other team's captain said before placing the palms of both of his gloved hands on Logan's chest and shoving with all his might.

The impact of the fall knocked Logan's helmet off, and the back of his skull made a spider web crack in the ice. Logan's eyes quickly filled with tears, and he could feel something sticky on the back of his head.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" James shouted, as he skated faster than he's ever skated before so that he could hopefully come to Logan's rescue in time.

A malicious smile appeared on number eleven's face as he took his skate, and kicked Logan in the face just as he was trying to sit up on the ice. The blade of the skate skirted across Logan's cheekbone, slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. His cheekbone was now raw and exposed. A steady supply of crimson liquid cascaded down Logan's face, as the skin that once covered Logan's cheekbone was hanging off Logan's face.

All the family and friends in the audience, every kid from both teams, the coaches of both teams, and even the referee gasped in horror. James' dad was the first adult on the ice. He didn't care if number eleven was only a five-year-old kid; he had an inkling to throttle him himself for what he did to Logan.

However, before Mr. Diamond could even reach the kid, Kendall and James beat him to it. The two rivals launched themselves at the other team's captain, tackling him to the ice. James pried the kid's helmet off his head and tossed it aside. Kendall sat on top of the kid's chest and pounded him with rights and lefts. Meanwhile, James hands had found the kid's throat and he was strangling number eleven.

Carlos didn't care about the kid who hurt Logan; he only cared about Logan. He knelt down beside him, and was crying himself underneath his helmet. He found Logan's gloved hand, and held it in both of his.

"What do I do?" Carlos asked frantically.

Logan's own tears weren't helping; they rolled down his face into the wound. The salt in his tears just made Logan cry out in pain even more. Logan's entire face was a crimson mask by now. There was a pool of blood amassing beside a prone Logan. He was trembling severely.

"Carlos, it hurts! Make it stop!" Logan whimpered.

Carlos wanted to do something, _anything_ to help his newest friend, but the only thing he could manage was crying. He'd never seen anybody bleed before, and he certainly had never seen anyone bleed this much. Logan was bleeding like a pig.

Mr. Diamond and Mrs. Knight pulled their respective children off of number eleven. Kendall and James were both scratching, clawing, and kicking. They had come together because of a common enemy.

"James?" Logan asked timidly. "Where are you? I can't see! Why can't I see?"

James forgot all about getting revenge, and had taken off and tossed aside his own helmet. He wanted to make sure that Logan could see his face even though he had just been freaking out about not being able to see. James knelt down beside Logan on the opposite side of Carlos, and took Logan's other hand in both of his.

Ribbons of crimson were seeping into Logan's open eyes. It didn't stop there though; every square inch of Logan's face was covered in blood. Logan squeezed his eyes shut tightly trying to futilely will the pain away.

"I'm right here, Logie. I'm right here," James said, tears stinging his own eyes.

"I'm scared, James!" Logan wailed.

"You're gonna be okay. You _have_ to be!"

Kendall wasn't sure what had come over him. Moments ago, he had been jealous of Logan, and now he was avenging him? The two of them weren't even friends yet! It was like he had some sort of overwhelming desire to protect Logan just like he would Carlos. What that kid did to Logan was just plain mean! It was totally uncalled for! Talk about a sore loser!

"Is he alright?" Kendall asked as he kept his distance.

Kendall felt a bit unsteady on his feet. The rink seemed to be spinning all around him. His nose detected a foul smell. It was strong and reeked of metal. Kendall wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"He'll be okay, sweetie!" Mrs. Knight said encouragingly even though she had no idea.

"Give him space! Don't crowd around him!" their coach ordered as practically everyone in attendance was starting to huddle around Logan to get a better look.

Their coach had taken off his hoodie, balled it up, and pressed it firmly over Logan's wound. He used the sleeves to try to wipe away some of the blood, but it was all in vain. Logan was losing too much blood.

"You're doin' great! Hang in there, buddy!" James said even though he had no idea what he was saying.

There was the sound of approaching sirens. Luckily, one of the other adults thought to call 911. The other team's captain was hoisted into the air by the neckline of his jersey courtesy of his coach who was none too pleased. His face was tomato red.

"What was that?" he shouted.

Number eleven hung his head in shame. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as they shot him dirty looks. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the kid he had kicked in the face, making him bleed profusely. He wasn't sure what came over him. He just didn't like losing, and blamed Logan.

"You do _not_ kick people in the face with your skates! You do _not_ kick people in the face at all, period! You leave me no choice! You're off the team!" the other team's coach yelled.

That was little comfort to everyone else. Kendall, James, Carlos, and all the friends and families of their teammates were sick to their stomachs with worry. Logan was just a five-year-old kid! A small five-year-old at that!

"I-I'm c-cold," Logan stammered.

James' dad took off his jacket and wrapped Logan's petit body up in it. He was completely beside himself. He had brought Logan to the game because Logan's grandma couldn't. Mr. Diamond felt responsible for what happened to Logan, and had no idea how he was going to explain this to Grandma Mitchell.

"I-I'm st-still c-cold," Logan stuttered.

James' dad scooped Logan up in his arms; realizing that him lying on the ice wasn't helping matters any. James tugged on his dad's pant leg because he could no longer see Logan. Mr. Diamond took a knee so that James could see his friend once again.

Carlos spotted the paramedics make their way onto the hockey rink.

"The doctors will make your ouchies go away," Carlos said.

Everyone hoped that Carlos was right. They were all still in shock. They couldn't believe what just happened. Everyone watched helplessly as the paramedics loaded Logan's tiny body onto a stretcher, strapped him in, and wheeled him out of the building.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I'm not a sports guy…at all. I don't play sports. I don't even watch sports, so if any of the sports information was inaccurate, that is why. Also, did you notice how my FCMD flared up in this chapter? **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Who's excited for "Green Time Rush"? I know I am. The one storyline I'm most excited for is the one that they didn't show in the preview; Logan's partner in the competition is the school bully. Haha, this sounds so wrong of me, but I'm eager because the upcoming episode has the potential to show Logan getting bullied. Sorry Logan. It's nothing personal…**

**Disclaimer: I own just as much as I did last chapter, so yeah…you can do the math…**

**In the Beginning**

Little Kendall, James, and Carlos were in the hospital waiting room with their parents; Kendall's mom, James' dad, and Carlos' dad. James was pacing back and forth, his eyes darting wildly. He was looking for his best friend. Where was he? Where was Logan? They've been waiting to see him forever! Was he okay? Was it good news or bad news that they hadn't heard anything yet?

Carlos was sitting in a chair next to his dad, with his head resting on his father's lap. He had already cried his eyes out. He literally couldn't shed another tear. His eyes were red and puffy as he, like James, anxiously waited for Logan's doctor or better yet, Logan, to come walking down the hallway. Even though he was in a reclining position, his tiny shoulders were slumped in defeat. He felt like he should've done more to help Logan back at the hockey rink. Maybe if he had…

Kendall was sitting in a chair next to his mom. The two of them had a firm hold of each other's hands. Kendall wasn't one to admit when he was scared, but he was terrified. Logan was so small, so he couldn't have that much blood in him. Back at the rink, Kendall had watched Logan lose so much blood. How much more could he possibly have left? Kendall followed James' every movement with his eyes. He actually felt bad for James. Kendall could only imagine what James must be going through. Kendall didn't even want to think of what a wreck he would be if this had happened to Carlos instead.

Grandma Mitchell joined the other adults in the waiting room. Mr. Diamond had called her and told her what had happened at the hockey rink. Logan's grandma was a mess; her hands wouldn't stop shaking, she was holding onto a raggedy handkerchief that she constantly used to dab the tears from her eyes and blow her nose with. Logan's grandma was the only living relative he had left. Most of the time, he didn't even call her "Grandma;" he called her "Mom" because that's what for all intents and purposes she was to him.

She took her cane and started bludgeoning James' dad with it repeatedly. James' dad brought his hands up to protect his face. Grandma Mitchell got around pretty well for a grandma. Most of the time, she didn't even _need_ to use her cane. However, she had really bad arthritis, and it was a good thing she brought it with her today…

"How could you let this happen? You were supposed to watch my little boy! My little Logie!" Grandma Mitchell shrieked.

"It wasn't my fault! The kid from the other team did this to Logan, not me! I got there as soon as I could, but by then, it was already too late!" James' dad countered.

James stopped in his tracks as he watched Logan's grandma relentlessly pound his dad with her cane. He wasn't used to seeing this side of her. Usually, she was a nice, sweet, old lady. Now she was being kind of mean and scary. He wasn't that worried about his father's safety to actually go and try to stop Logan's grandma though. He didn't have a death wish…

"Look, I understand that you're upset…" James' dad tried to reason.

"You understand nothing! Until _your_ little boy gets kicked in the face with the blade of an ice skate, you will _never_ understand what I'm going through right now!" Logan's grandma retorted.

"Is this a bad time?" Logan's doctor asked.

He wasn't sure what to make of the scene before him; an elderly lady was screaming at the top of her lungs while she was mauling a man with her cane.

"Are you here for a Logan Mitchell?" Logan's doctor questioned.

"Yes! How is he? Is he awake? Can I see him?" Grandma Mitchell replied, spouting one question off after another.

"You _are_ a relative of Logan's, correct?"

"Of course! He's my grandson! Now can I see him?"

"I thought you wanted to know how he is and if he's awake?"

"I do, so if you know what's good for you, start talking!"

Logan's doctor swallowed nervously. He was relatively young; still in his twenties. He was fresh out of medical school. He was still pretty green, but never before had he dealt with a granny on a warpath before. Maybe if she would stop brandishing her cane as a weapon, he would be less intimidated by her…

"Right, well I'm Dr. Nash…"

"I don't care what your name is!" Grandma Mitchell exclaimed, cutting him off.

"Logan's in stable condition. He's one tough little guy. He has eleven stitches in his face, and the entire right side of his face is heavily bandaged. He also has another seven stitches in the back of his head. Lastly, he has a mild concussion. When we went to sew him up, we had to give him some anesthesia, so he's sleeping right now, but you're welcome to go see him. He's right this way."

Dr. Nash led the group to Logan's room, and held the door open for them until all of them were in Logan's hospital room. It was just as he said; Logan was fast asleep. He looked so small lying there in the large hospital bed. He was wearing two bandages; one covering his right cheek, and the other on the back of his head.

"I'll give you all some time with Logan. If you need anything at all, feel free to give me a holler," Dr. Nash said before making his exit.

James didn't like what he was looking at; he didn't like it one bit. Only the head and neck of his best friend stuck out from underneath the sheets. Logan looked so helpless, vulnerable, and broken in the hospital bed. All the walls were white; _too_ white. The entire hospital reeked of Pine-Sol.

James was the first one at Logan's bedside, even beating Logan's own grandma, and James took one of his best friend's limp hands in his own. Tears were streaming down James' cheeks. His bottom lip was trembling. James felt awful. He felt responsible for what happened to Logan. If only he had gotten to Logan sooner, none of this would have ever happened. James felt like he had let Logan down. Ever since the two of them had become friends, James had been like Logan's protector. _Some_ protector he was!

Logan's grandma was on the other side of the bed. She had pulled up a chair, and sat down beside Logan. She reached over and kissed Logan's forehead. Like James, she held one of Logan's hands in her own. In her mind, she was telling herself over and over again that Logan would be just fine even though seeing him so injured made her have her doubts.

With his free hand, James shook Logan gently.

"Hey buddy, you gotta wake up! That way, I'll know you're okay," James said.

Nothing. James covered his mouth with his free hand as he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't help but think that maybe Dr. Nash had been lying. When James tried to wake Logan, he wouldn't even stir. So maybe he wasn't as okay as the doctor made it seem.

Mr. Diamond took a knee, and held his arms wide open.

"Come here, son," he said.

James shook his head fiercely.

"Nu-uh! I gotta stay with Logie! What if he wakes up and doesn't see me? He'll think I don't care about him!" James replied.

Mr. Diamond was tempted to tell James that Logan wouldn't be waking up anytime soon due to the anesthesia, but he held his tongue because he didn't want to upset James any further.

Carlos walked over to James, and timidly tapped him on the shoulder. James spun around on his heels to glare at the smaller boy.

"I wanna see Logie too," Carlos stated.

James briefly let go of Logan's hand so that he could use both of his hands to shove Carlos back. Carlos' dad steadied his son before he could fall to the floor.

"James!" Mr. Diamond scolded, appalled by his son's behavior.

James turned to face his father even though he was staring at the floor and drawing circles with his foot.

"I was here first! 'Sides Logie's _my_ friend and not his!" James muttered.

"Why can't we all be friends?" Carlos suggested, giving a small smile.

"Cuz I don't like you!"

"Why?"

"Cuz you're tryin' to steal Logie from me!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

Carlos was starting to get all teary-eyed. How could James not like him? What did he ever do to James? Carlos was used to everyone liking him; he was a people person. That's why his feelings were hurt when James said that he didn't like him.

Kendall wondered how James felt about him if he didn't like Carlos. He was pretty sure that James hated him then. The two of them were both alpha males. Their personalities just clashed with one another. There was a small part of Kendall though that liked how he and James worked together earlier to make that kid pay for what he did to Logan. It's just that Kendall would never admit that to anyone.

Kendall marched over to James, and shoved him. After James regained his balance, he stood toe-to-toe with Kendall getting right in his face. Kendall pointed over at a blubbering Carlos.

"Look what you did! You made him cry! Say you're sorry!" Kendall demanded.

James folded his arms over his chest. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"I just did!"

"So? That doesn't mean I hafta do it!"

Mrs. Knight swooped in before the situation really got out of control. She grabbed hold of her son's wrists, and led him to the other side of the room all the while saying, "Let's go over here, Kendall."

"But Mama, James is a meanie! He made Carlitos cry!" Kendall whined.

"Kendall!" Mrs. Knight scolded. "What did I tell you about calling people names?"

"If you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all."

James smiled triumphantly from the other side of the room. From the sound of things, Kendall's mommy makes him recite that saying a lot. James started snickering. Mr. Diamond cleared his throat, and James' grin disappeared real quick.

Carlos' dad had his son on his lap, and was rocking him back and forth. It wasn't long before Carlos had drifted off to sleep, and Mr. Garcia was glad because at least he couldn't cry when he was asleep. Unlike the other adults in the room, he had remained silent up until now. He had kind of sat back and observed. From what he could tell, as much as it seemed like Kendall, James, and Carlos had nothing in common, they did; they all cared about Logan.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: So as you have no doubt noticed, this story does not have continuity with my other stories in that in this story, Logan doesn't have parents that are jerks and ignore him; in fact, he doesn't have parents at all because they died. Okay, hear me out. I have this all rationalized and whatnot based on canon. Lol. In "Big Time Audition," all four boys called their moms. Since Logan is the only one of the guys who we have yet to see even one of his parents, I am making the assumption that he has none. In "Big Time Pranks" and "Big Time Crush," Logan mentioned his grandma, so I deduced that Logan's "mom" that he called in "Big Time Audition" is really his grandma. Of course this is all speculation on my part, and/or me taking artistic liberties, so…yeah.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: For those of you interested, I'm FishStickFriday on Twitter. I'm also FishStickFriday on YouTube. I uploaded a video of me doing a cover of BTR's "This Is Our Someday." To round out the social network trifecta, I'm fishstickfriday on Tumblr. Notice a pattern? I guess it makes me easy to find…**

**Disclaimer: See previous chapter's disclaimers. **

**In the Beginning**

Logan had to stay at the hospital for observation, but Kendall, James, and Carlos still had Pre-Kindergarten to go to. Kendall and Carlos arrived at the classroom at roughly the same time. James was already there when they got there. He was off in a corner of the classroom all by himself holding a toy stethoscope, Logan's favorite toy. Even as a five year old, Logan wanted to be a doctor when he grew up.

"He looks sad," Carlos commented out loud. "Maybe we should go over and say, 'Hi' or something."

Carlos started to head in James' direction, but Kendall grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Carlos gave Kendall a confused look. In return, Kendall merely gestured over towards James with his head before shaking his head.

Unbeknownst to Kendall and Carlos, James had seen all of this. He furiously wiped the tears that started to form in his eyes. At least the two of them had each other. Without Logan, James had no one. James was so very confused. He didn't really _want_ to be friends with Carlos and Kendall, especially Kendall, but he didn't really _want_ to be alone either. He obviously couldn't have it both ways…

Carlos and Kendall were on one side of the classroom building a tower of blocks. However, Kendall had no intention of making the tower of blocks fall on Carlos like James did. Every once in awhile, Kendall's eyes would wander over to James. He had this weird feeling inside of him that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

James kept going back and forth from staring blankly out the window and eyeing the front door of the classroom like Logan would come walking through it any second now. He still had a firm grip on the toy stethoscope.

James' fists clenched when he saw another kid enter the classroom. James didn't like this new kid at all. It was number eleven from the blue and silver team. This was the same kid that kicked Logan in the face with the blade of his skate. James made a beeline for number eleven.

Number eleven held out his hand for James to shake. After he was left hanging, he shoved his hand awkwardly into his pocket.

"I'm Dustin. I'm sorry about what happened to your friend," the newcomer said.

"You're sorry? You're sorry! Logan's in the hospital cuz of you! He's not here cuz of you! And you're sorry?" James yelled.

James' shouting had gotten Kendall and Carlos' attention. They soon had joined James and Dustin by the front door of the classroom. Like James, Kendall's hands were balled up into fists. He took up a protective stance in front of Carlos.

"I didn't mean to hurt him! I just wanted to win really bad, and we didn't. I took it out on Logan. I'm sorry," Dustin said.

Kendall floored Dustin with a right cross to the jaw. Carlos let out a surprised gasp, and James really wished that he had thought of that first. Well, he _did_ think of that actually. It's just Kendall beat him to the punch…_literally_.

"What did you do that for?" Dustin asked from the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't _mean_ to!" Kendall replied mockingly.

Their Pre-Kindergarten teacher inserted herself into the escalating situation. She did not look happy at all.

"What is going on here? There's no hitting in the classroom!" their teacher scolded.

She grabbed Kendall by the arm, and pulled him behind her over to the time-out corner. Dustin taunted Kendall by waving at him as he was being dragged away. Carlos was suddenly frightened. Without Kendall, who would protect him from Dustin?

XXXXX

Luckily Kendall was only in time-out for five minutes, and luckily, Dustin didn't try to pull anything while Kendall was in time-out. But now, the class was outside. James was sitting all by himself on the swing set, only half-heartedly swinging. Meanwhile, Kendall and Carlos were chasing each other as they kept going down the slide.

Dustin was watching from afar, bouncing a four-square ball up and down on the blacktop. He had tried being the bigger person; he had tried apologizing, and look where that got him; he was sporting a sore jaw. As far as he was concerned, no more Mr. Nice Guy. Besides, being mean was so much more fun.

Dustin held the ball tightly against his chest as he approached the slide. Carlos had just stood up after having went down the slide when Dustin chucked the ball at Carlos' face. The smaller boy fell to the ground, crying loudly.

"What is your problem?" Kendall shouted, as he rushed over to Dustin, and shoved him roughly.

"It's not my fault if your friend is too stupid to catch!" Dustin answered.

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

Seeing Carlos get pelted with the four-square ball reminded James too much of what Dustin did to Logan yesterday at the hockey rink. Both got hit in the face after all. James hopped off the swing, and made his way over to Dustin. Last time, Kendall beat James to the punch, but this time, if James had anything to say about it, he wouldn't.

Dustin had to pick himself up off the ground again, but this time it wasn't because of Kendall; it was because of James who had floored him with a sharp jab to the bridge of Dustin's nose. Blood seeped out of Dustin's nose and trickled into his mouth.

"That was for Logan!" James yelled.

Once more, their Pre-Kindergarten teacher had to come and break up the fight. Even though Dustin hitting Carlos in the face with the four-square ball was what started this all, the only things their teacher seemed to see were Kendall shoving Dustin, and James punching Dustin.

"What has gotten into you boys? Off to time-out with you two!" their teacher said, grabbing Kendall and James by one arm, and pulling them back inside the classroom.

Dustin licked the blood below his nostrils while smiling sinisterly. It was like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar. Only Dustin wasn't the one that got caught. He looked over at a sniveling Carlos who was still on the ground.

Dustin stalked his way over to Carlos. With Kendall and James gone, nobody was left to protect Carlos. Dustin could do whatever he wanted to Carlos now. He almost felt bad; _almost_. After all, this was almost too easy.

"You're such a baby!" Dustin remarked.

"No, I'm not!" Carlos exclaimed, tears streaming from his eyes.

Dustin laughed at Carlos' pitiful attempt at being brave. Carlos could see the evil intentions in Dustin's eyes. He scooted backwards, away from Dustin. His little pants now had grass stains on them. Carlos wished Kendall were here right now; he would protect him.

"Why are you so mean?" Carlos asked.

"Mean? Mean? You ain't seen nothing yet!" Dustin replied.

It was at this moment that their teacher had made her way back outside. Dustin was aware of this. He passed the ball to Carlos, who caught it this time, but he had to stand up in order to catch it. Dustin then threw himself on the ground and started bawling his eyes out for no apparent reason.

Their teacher was there in seconds. She was barely able to suppress a frustrated sigh. She couldn't understand why the kids were behaving like they were.

"What happened, sweetie?" she asked Dustin.

'_Sweetie? He's no sweetie!_' Carlos thought to himself.

Carlos was shocked when Dustin pointed his finger at him in an accusing fashion.

"He hit me with the ball!" Dustin answered, before fake crying some more.

Their teacher's eyes widened as she turned her attention to Carlos. The little boy held his hands up innocently, letting the ball fall to the ground, but it was too little too late; their teacher had already seen him with it in his hands. The evidence was too incriminating.

"No, I didn't! He's lying!" Carlos exclaimed.

It didn't matter though. Their teacher had already made up her mind; in her eyes, Carlos was as guilty as sin. So, she dragged Carlos inside for his turn at time-out. As Carlos was being ushered away, he could see Dustin grinning triumphantly at him.

XXXXX

It was the end of another day of Pre-Kindergarten. All the parents had arrived to pick up their kids. Kendall hung his head as his mother chewed him out for misbehaving once again. James was getting similar treatment from his father. Even Carlos' father wasn't too happy with his son.

"But Papi, I didn't do nothing wrong!" Carlos screamed, his eyes swimming with tears.

"Then why does your teacher say you did?" Carlos' dad asked.

"I dunno!"

Carlos buried his small face in his even smaller hands as he cried. He didn't understand why his dad didn't believe him. Instead, he was taking the word of his teacher who didn't even see everything that had happened in the first place.

Dustin walked past Carlos, clapping him in the back so hard, that Carlos almost fell over.

"Later, Carlos," he said.

Kendall was instantly at Carlos' side. He stood toe-to-toe with Dustin. Neither boy was backing down.

"Touch him again, and I'll…" Kendall warned.

"Kendall Donald Knight, that is enough!" Mrs. Knight hollered.

As Carlos' dad watched Dustin leave with his own father, he did some thinking. He had witnessed Carlos flinch when Dustin clapped him in the back just a little bit ago. He saw the way Carlos wouldn't even make eye contact with Dustin when he spoke to his son. It wasn't long before he put two and two together; Dustin was a bully. It was clear that Carlos was scared of him.

Mr. Garcia wondered what would happen when Logan returned to school tomorrow. Would Dustin still pick on Carlos? Or was Carlos only a temporary replacement? If Carlos' dad was right, then he was concerned for Logan's safety. Dustin had already put Logan in the hospital! What more could he possibly have in store for Logan? It was as clear as day that Logan was his intended target though Carlos' dad had no idea why.

"I believe you, son," Carlos' dad said to his son.

Carlos looked up at his father with wide doe eyes. "You do?"

"Yep. I'm sorry for ever doubting you."

Carlos' dad held his arms wide open, and Carlos ran into them. The father and son shared a hug. Carlos nestled his head against his dad's chest.

"It's okay. I forgive you," Carlos said.

Officer Garcia then turned his attention to Kendall and James.

"I want all three of you to keep an eye on Logan tomorrow, and whatever you do, don't leave him alone with Dustin," Carlos' dad said.

Kendall and James traded worried looks with one another, before looking back at Carlos' dad and nodding their heads.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I apologize for this lousy chapter. I don't know where my writing talent went exactly, but it's obviously A.W.O.L. I absolutely loved "Green Time Rush," and after seeing that, anything I write will only pale in comparison. I mean there is no comparison. That was a total WIN of an episode. By far, my favorite episode so far. This chapter, well this was just…pitiful. Again, I'm sorry. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Um…yeah, so it's been like a month since I updated this story. I'm technically still on my "reviewing spree," but that doesn't mean I can't still write too, right? Right? Um…yeah, for those of you who don't know, part of the reason I haven't been writing much is because I had a string of like three bad weeks all put together. Stuff I honestly rather not talk about because I'm trying to put it behind me. I may have mentioned it on my Tumblr or honestly, I don't even remember if I publicly told anyone what happened. I might have told some people privately. Anyways, hopefully I didn't get rusty after all this time…**

**Disclaimer: Even a month later, I still own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

The next day, Dustin made sure that he was the first kid at school. He wanted to make sure he was there when Logan got there. Secretly, he hoped that Logan got there before Kendall, Carlos, or James did. Dustin hadn't been introduced to Logan properly yet. He probably didn't even know that he had a new classmate.

Kendall and James apparently had similar ideas as they showed up at class at roughly the same time. They hung out by the door (though not _together_) as they waited for Logan to arrive. Kendall gave James a sympathetic look. The taller boy had bags under his eyes. From the looks of things, he hadn't slept a wink last night.

"What are _you_ lookin' at?" James asked, irritated.

"Nothing. I just…are you okay?" Kendall replied.

"What do you care?"

Kendall fell silent. He didn't really know how to respond to that. Why _did_ he care about James anyways? It's not like the two of them were friends. They both wanted to protect Logan from Dustin, but that's about all the similarities they had, or so it seemed.

"You worry about Carlos. _I'll_ worry about Logan," James said.

"I can help too…" Kendall started to say.

"I don't _want_ your help! Logie's _my_ friend!"

Dustin decided that this was the perfect time to insert himself into the conversation, much to the chagrin of both Kendall and James. He casually strolled over to the other two boys, standing in between them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Dustin asked as though the three of them were best buds or something.

"You better leave Logan alone today!" James warned, his body rigid.

"Yeah, and Carlos too!" Kendall added, his posture tensed.

It was at this moment that the front door opened, and Carlos trotted through. He froze in his tracks as soon as he saw who was standing by Kendall and James. A chill traveled up and down his spine. He felt his father's grip on his hand tighten ever so slightly.

"Hey, buddy!" Dustin greeted.

He went to approach Carlos, but two things happened at once: Kendall got in between Dustin and Carlos, and Carlos' dad pulled his son behind him.

"I'm not your buddy!" Carlos replied, safely behind his father.

Dustin put a hand to his chest in mock pain.

"You don't _like_ me? Why don't you like me?" Dustin remarked, before fake crying.

However, this got the attention of their Pre-Kindergarten teacher, Miss Price, who made a beeline for the four boys. She had an annoyed look on her face. She didn't know what it was about these four, but they just didn't seem to get along with one another.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked Dustin, dropping down into a crouched position.

Dustin pointed a small finger at Carlos.

"_He_ said that he hates me! I just wanna be his friend!" Dustin answered, before crying even more hysterically than before.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, that is not what happened at all," Carlos' dad stated.

"Yeah, he's lying!" Carlos added, peeking out from behind his father's leg to point at Dustin.

Miss Price rolled her eyes as she took Dustin's hand and led him away from Kendall, James, and Carlos. About the only thing she could do was try her best to separate them. She knew it wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it worked for the time being.

Carlos' father got down on both knees. He made sure Carlos' helmet was securely fastened on his head, before he opened up his arms. Carlos ran into them, eager for his father's embrace.

"Love you, Papi!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Love you too, son," Mr. Garcia replied. He then looked over at Kendall and James. "Remember what I said; look after each other, and look after Logan too."

"_I_ will!" James replied.

"I will too," Kendall responded.

"We promise!" Carlos said.

XXXXX

Logan dragged his tiny feet behind him as he entered the classroom. If it wasn't for his grandma holding onto his hand, he probably would've collapsed to the floor right then and there. He could barely keep his eyes open. He had two bandages: one on the back of his head, and one on the right side of his face.

"Logie!" James exclaimed, rushing over to his best friend.

Logan let out a huge yawn. "Hey, James," he said groggily.

Logan was startled when James wrapped his arms around him in a hug, lifted him off the ground, and spun him around several times, before setting him back down. Now Logan was tired _and_ dizzy.

"Am I glad to see you," James commented.

When Logan didn't respond, his eyelids starting to droop, James pulled on the sleeve of Logan's grandma's blouse.

"What's wrong with him?" James asked.

"He's just a little tired from the medicine he has to take. That's all," Grandma Mitchell answered.

James wrapped his arms around Logan's waist, keeping him upright. He then led Logan over to 'The Quiet Room;' a section of the classroom where students could lay down and sleep if they wanted to.

James carefully set Logan down on a beanbag chair. He then lay down beside him draping an arm over him. Logan fell fast asleep. Carlos and Kendall saw this as well, and they were worried about Logan. They wanted to go over and see for themselves how Logan was doing, but James was practically guarding Logan from having any visitors.

Dustin also noticed what was going on with Logan. He was like a predatory cat stalking its prey; never taking his eyes off it. Dustin was waiting in the wings for an opportunity where he could get his prey alone and strike.

If Dustin was being completely honest with himself though, he really had no idea why he hated Logan so much. Sure, his peewee hockey team lost because of Logan. Other than that though, what was it that drew Dustin to him? Was it because he was an easy target with his small size? Was it because he had three protectors, and Dustin saw that as a challenge? Or was there another reason even unknown to Dustin himself?

XXXXX

Later in the day, the class was eating snacks; Cheerios. James and Logan sat at the same table, and Kendall and Carlos sat together but at a different table. Meanwhile, Dustin was sitting at a table all by himself. None of the other classmates wanted to sit with the class bully. Dustin didn't care; or at least he _pretended_ not to care.

He started pelting Logan in the head with Cheerios. This caused different reactions from different people.

Logan did his best to ignore it. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with the person responsible for him wearing a bandage on the back of the head and the side of his face. However, ignoring it was a task easier said than done. He would be lying to himself if he said that Dustin throwing Cheerios at him _wasn't_ annoying.

Carlos froze in his tracks, his own Cheerios long forgotten. He wore a frown on his face as he looked back and forth between Logan and Kendall. Maybe in a way, he was silently asking for Kendall to put a stop to what Dustin was doing. Carlos unconsciously placed a hand on his face as well, remembering when Dustin had chucked a four-square ball at him just yesterday.

Kendall seemed to be seething with silent rage. He had a fistful of cheerios that were crushed into dust because he was clenching his fist so tightly. His whole body was tense. He had already slid his chair back, the sound of the wooden legs scraping across the hardwood floor echoed throughout the classroom.

James had narrowed his eyes at Dustin. He was sitting across from Logan, who had his back to Dustin. James clenched his teeth so tightly that he may have lost some enamel. The veins on the sides of his head, and one on the side of his neck throbbed.

Kendall, James, Carlos, and Dustin were all surprised when it was _Logan_ who finally decided to do something about it. He slid his chair back before rising to his feet. He turned around and started walking towards Dustin's table. Naturally, Dustin stopped throwing Cheerios at Logan at this time.

"Quit pickin' on me!" Logan exclaimed.

"What do you mean? I'm not doin' nothing!" Dustin replied innocently.

What happened next, nobody could have expected. Logan shoved Dustin so hard that his chair toppled over. The back of Dustin's head smacked against the hardwood floor, and he immediately started bawling.

Of course, Miss Price, being as clueless as she is, only witnessed Logan shoving Dustin. She seemed to miss the part where Dustin was throwing food at Logan. She had an irritated look on her face. _'Not Logan too!'_ she thought to herself.

"Come on," Miss Price said, grabbing Logan's tiny hand. "Let's go to time-out."

As Dustin watched Logan get ushered over to the corner by Miss Price, he didn't know what to think. He honestly never thought Logan would fight back. He didn't know if that impressed him or if that just fueled him to torment Logan even more now. One thing was for sure though; Dustin was going to get his revenge.

XXXXX

The class was sitting in a circle. They were playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Carlos was sitting to Logan's right while James was sitting to Logan's left. Kendall was sitting on the other side of Carlos.

"Duck," Logan said, tapping James on the head.

"Duck," he said, tapping a girl on the head.

"Duck," he said, tapping another girl on the head.

"Duck," he said, tapping a boy on the head.

"Duck," he said, tapping another boy on the head.

"Duck," Logan said, tapping another girl on the head.

"Duck," he said as he tapped another girl on the head.

"Duck," Logan said as he tapped Dustin on the head even though he _wanted_ to do something entirely different.

"Duck," he said as he tapped another girl on the head.

"Duck," Logan said as he tapped Kendall on the head.

"Goose!" he said as he tapped Carlos on the head.

Carlos rose to his feet and started giving chase, both boys laughing. Logan had almost completed one lap before Dustin stuck out his foot and tripped him. Logan landed on the bandaged side of his face, and his eyes immediately began to tear up as a sharp pain resonated from his scar that wasn't fully healed yet.

Being as cunning as he is, Dustin quickly resumed his previous seated position, and nobody suspected a thing. Everyone just assumed that Logan was a klutz, and tripped over his own feet or something.

Logan was still sprawled out face down on the carpeted floor as he started crying hysterically. Carlos was instantly at Logan's side since he was the closest. James and Kendall weren't too far behind.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked, genuinely worried. "What happened?"

Logan raised his head up off the floor to look at Kendall, James, and Carlos with teary eyes. His gaze landed on Dustin. Based on the ways their bodies were positioned, Kendall, James, and Carlos had their backs to Dustin. Logan was the only one who could see Dustin, who slammed his fist into his hand.

"I…I…tripped and fell," Logan lied.

"You need to be more careful," Kendall said.

Logan hung his head in shame. He couldn't stand to look at Dustin anymore. He may only be five years old, but he was an exceptionally bright five year old. He certainly wasn't stupid. He knew that Dustin tripped him to get revenge. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was far from over between the two of them.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Okay, so did this suck or what? It's been so long since I had written C5 of this story. For that matter, it has been so long since I have written anything. What do you think? Am I still rusty? Or was it like I never stopped writing? Wait. Do I even want to know? Anyways, I don't know if you all have been paying attention to what's been happening in the Midwest, but we've been getting some pretty bad tornadoes. I live in Missouri, and the F5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri was only 2-3 hours away from where I live. Anyhow, I just wanted to assure you guys that I'm okay, and no tornado tore through where I live. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**In the Beginning**

It was another day of Pre-Kindergarten. Kendall and Carlos were playing with one another. Meanwhile, Logan and James were playing with one another in a different part of the classroom. Logan was still groggy from his medicine, and was only half-heartedly playing. What was surprising though was that Dustin seemed to be leaving Logan alone. In fact, it didn't even seem like he was paying any attention to Logan at all.

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked as he was bashing Kendall's toy T-Rex with his toy brontosaurus's tail.

"I gotta bad feelin' about this," Kendall answered.

"About what?"

"Dustin. He's leavin' Logie alone."

"But isn't that a _good_ thing?"

"I don't like it."

Dustin was sitting at a table all by himself coloring a picture in a color book. He didn't even seem to notice Logan. For that matter, he didn't seem to notice Kendall, Carlos, or James either. Kendall wasn't the only one worried by this.

"How come you keep lookin' at Dustin?" Logan asked, blinking his eyes rapidly in an attempt to keep them open.

James' toy car plummeted off the bookcase, clattering on the hardwood floor below. Logan's toy car teetered precariously on the edge of the bookcase, as he shook his head, trying to stay awake.

"He's up to something," James replied.

"It looks like he's just coloring to me," Logan commented.

"Stay here."

Before Logan could even respond, James was gone. He walked over to the table Dustin was sitting at. He folded his arms over his chest, tapped his foot on the floor, and cleared his throat obnoxiously.

"Oh, hi James!" Dustin greeted, looking up from his drawing to smile at his classmate.

"What are you doin'?" James asked.

"Coloring. Do you wanna color too?"

Dustin grabbed a coloring book that hadn't been colored in, and held it out for James to grab if he so desired. James was very skeptical of Dustin's new behavior.

"What are you up to?" James asked.

"Huh?" Dustin replied, confused.

"You're bein' _nice_! You're not nice!"

Dustin stared intently at his drawing. It had multi-colored scribbles all over it. He hadn't done a very good job of staying in the lines with his crayons.

That's when Logan noticed something. Dustin pulled his sleeve down over his previously exposed forearm, covering up an angry red mark. Logan knew the mark wasn't crayon or marker. Out of the corner of his eye, Dustin saw that Logan had been watching him, which is why he pulled his sleeve down in the first place.

"I can be nice if I wanna. You don't know nothin' about me!" Dustin exclaimed.

XXXXX

Logan had just finished using the little boys' room. On his way out of the restroom, he found Dustin leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"Oh! Hey," Logan said awkwardly, giving Dustin an uncertain smile.

"I know you saw it," Dustin stated bluntly.

Logan chuckled nervously.

"Saw what?" he asked, playing dumb.

"My arm," Dustin answered.

"What happened?"

"It's none of your beeswax! Don't go telling' none of your friends 'bout it either or else!"

Logan swallowed a lump that was beginning to form in his throat. Then he nodded his head vigorously.

Dustin acted like such a tough guy, but really, it was all just a charade. The truth of the matter was that he was a scared little boy. He was an only child. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him. His father hadn't been the same since he lost his wife. He blamed Dustin for his wife's death. Dustin looked so much like her too; he had her hair color and eyes. It didn't help matters any that Dustin's father was also an alcoholic with anger management issues.

Logan didn't know what to do or say when Dustin started crying in front of him. This was the same kid who had bullied him after all. He took a couple steps toward Dustin despite the warning look that he received from him.

"Don't cry. It's okay," Logan said.

"I'm so alone. Nobody likes me. You don't like me. Your friends don't like me. My daddy doesn't like me. At least you have friends," Dustin sobbed.

"Did your daddy do that to your arm?"

"He gets so angry…"

Logan gave Dustin a sympathetic look. It was like he was seeing him in a new light. It certainly explained a bunch of things. First of all, if Dustin's dad hurts Dustin, then it would make sense that Dustin himself was a bully. It's extremely difficult to break the cycle. Secondly, maybe his bullying tendencies were just a cry for help. Thirdly, there had to be _some_ reason why Dustin opened up to Logan about his daddy issues. Finally, maybe that was why Dustin bullied Logan; in some weird, twisted way, maybe he just wanted to be friends with Logan. After all, he said so himself that he didn't have any friends.

"Here," Logan said, reaching into his pocket and removing a Band-aid.

Dustin wasn't sure what to think when he took the bandage from Logan. He couldn't figure out why Logan was being so nice to him after everything he has done to him. At the same time though, he felt genuine gratitude towards the smaller boy. He rolled up his sleeve, peeled off the backing, and placed the Band-aid over the cut on his forearm. Lastly, he covered his forearm back up with his sleeve.

"This doesn't change nothing. Once we get back out there, we're gonna go back to hatin' each other," Dustin stated.

"What? Why?" Logan asked.

"We can't be friends!"

"Why not?"

"We just can't!"

"But I don't hate you."

The next thing Logan knew, Dustin had hoisted him up off the ground, draping him over his shoulder. He dunked a squirming Logan's face underneath the surface of the toilet water before flushing the toilet. He then roughly pulled Logan's head out of the toilet bowl. With one last violent shove, Dustin left Logan coughing, sputtering, and crying on the bathroom floor.

"Hate me now?" Dustin remarked before he left.

XXXXX

For all Carlos knew, nothing had changed between Dustin and Logan. In fact, Logan seemed just as terrified of Dustin as ever, if not more. It didn't escape Carlos' attention that when Logan got back from using the little boys' room, he looked like he had just taken a bath; his hair was sopping wet though amazingly, not his face. Maybe it was just Carlos' imagination, but Logan kind of smelled funny afterwards too.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked as soon as he saw Logan.

"Yeah," Logan lied.

"Why is your hair all wet?"

"I'm fine, Carlos. Really."

Carlos watched sadly as Logan went back over to James. He wanted to believe Logan, but he just…didn't. Besides, before Logan got done using the little boys' room, Carlos saw Dustin come out from there. Carlos was positive that Dustin did something to Logan. He quickly made a beeline for Dustin.

"What did you do to Logie?" Carlos demanded.

Dustin was surprised. He wasn't used to this sort of behavior from Carlos of all people. Kendall and James? Definitely. Logan even? Sure. He still remembered Logan shoving him backwards in his chair. But Carlos?

"Aw, does someone feel left out?" Dustin replied, talking to Carlos like he would talk to a newborn baby.

Kendall was instantly at Carlos' side, making sure his friend was unharmed. Both of his hands were balled up into fists.

"I'm not scared of you!" Dustin stated, glaring at Kendall.

Kendall pulled back his fist to punch Dustin, but Dustin took the coward's way out, and grabbed Carlos, pulling him in front of him, using him as a human shield. Kendall's fist connected with the bridge of Carlos' nose, blood squirting out. As Carlos started bawling, Dustin resumed coloring a picture as though he was completely innocent.

Carlos sank to his knees. One hand he brought up to his injured nose. With his other hand, he was pushing Kendall back even though Kendall was only trying to help.

"I'm so sorry!" Kendall repeated over and over again.

James forgot all about Logan for the time being. All he knew was that he just saw Kendall punch Carlos, intentional or not. He stormed over to Kendall, and shoved him with all his might. Kendall fell backwards onto his butt.

"What did you do that for?" Kendall shouted.

"Funny. I was gonna ask you the same thing!" James replied gesturing towards Carlos.

"I didn't mean to! I was tryin' to hit Dustin!"

"But you didn't, did you?"

James then turned his attention to a blubbering Carlos. He crouched down beside him. He wrapped his arms around Carlos. The smaller boy buried his face in James' shirt, dampening it with both tears and blood.

In that moment, it was like James forgot all about being jealous of Carlos. All he cared about was that Carlos was hurt, and that Kendall had hurt Carlos. James never did like Kendall. As much as he hated Dustin, Kendall was starting to give him a run for his money.

Carlos was just all around surprised. He was surprised that Kendall punched him even though he knew it was only an accident. He was surprised that James of all people was holding him. Carlos always thought that James didn't like him.

XXXXX

The rest of the day, James kept Carlos away from Kendall. Every time Kendall would so much as look over in Carlos' direction, James would narrow his eyes at Kendall. Without Carlos, Kendall was starting to feel a bit left out. Similarly, without James, Logan was starting to feel left out as well.

The class was outside now. Seeing how James still wouldn't let him anywhere near Carlos, Kendall walked over to Logan.

"Wanna play?" a hopeful Kendall asked.

Logan didn't answer straight away. He was kind of confused if he was being completely honest with himself. Up until now, Kendall hasn't really _played_ with him before. Even though he was only five years old, that didn't stop Logan from taking a moment to analyze the situation before him. He came to the conclusion that Kendall only wanted to play with him because James wouldn't let him play with Carlos.

Logan looked over at the swing set, and saw that James was pushing Carlos while Carlos kept saying, "Higher, James! Higher!"

A part of Logan felt hurt that he was Kendall's Plan B; that he was Kendall's _second_ pick. However, without James, he didn't much like being alone either, and wasn't that what Kendall kind of was to him? A Plan B? Well, technically, _Carlos_ was Logan's Plan B seeing how Logan much rather play with Carlos than Kendall, but playing with Carlos was out of the question. So when Logan really thought about it, Kendall was like his Plan C.

"Um…so is that a yes?" Kendall asked, confused by Logan's prolonged silence.

"Okay!" Logan exclaimed, clapping Kendall in the back. "Tag! You're it!"

"No fair!" Kendall whined.

Logan took off running with Kendall giving chase. Both boys were smiling and laughing as they ran all over the yard. Naturally, James saw this and his eyes darkened. He muttered indistinguishable words under his breath as he unknowingly was pushing Carlos' swing harder and harder with each push.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Logan called out, as he hid behind a tree.

As soon as Kendall poked his head around the corner, Logan took off running. Try as he might, Logan was too fast for Kendall. Being the competitive person he was, Kendall didn't like this one bit. He liked winning. So, he stopped chasing Logan, and sat down in the sandbox. He started building a sandcastle.

Logan quickly noticed that Kendall wasn't chasing him anymore, and spotted him playing in the sandbox by himself. He walked over to the sandbox.

"Hey! Aren't we playin'?" Logan asked.

Kendall smirked. His plan worked perfectly. "Yep! You're it!" Kendall exclaimed, slapping Logan in the shoulder.

"Cheater!" Logan shouted as Kendall took off running.

Even though Logan was convinced that Kendall had cheated, he still took off running after Kendall. Soon enough both boys were laughing and smiling all over again.

XXXXX

It was the end of class. Everyone's parents had shown up to pick up their kids except for Kendall, Logan, and Dustin. Kendall and Logan were sitting next to each other on the floor playing thumb war with one another.

"There's my boy!" Mrs. Knight called out, getting down on one knee.

"Mama!" Kendall cried out as he ran into his mother's arms.

Logan frowned. Today had been a turning point in his relationship with Kendall. He was sad to see him go. They had so much fun together today.

"Bye, Logie! See ya tomorrow!" Kendall shouted.

"Okay!" Logan shouted back, waving at Kendall.

Mrs. Knight was surprised. Was it just her, or did Kendall and Logan actually seem like they were…_friends_ now? She smiled at the thought as she walked out of the classroom hand-in-hand with her son.

Then there were two.

Minutes passed by, and no one had shown up to pick up Dustin or Logan. Miss Price was starting to lose her patience. Class had been over forty-five minutes ago. She had a hot date tonight, and she had to go and get ready for that. Finding true love was far more important to her than spending time with two five year old brats.

At long last, the door opened, and in stumbled a very drunk Dustin's dad. If his incapability of walking in a straight line was any indication, he was hammered. As soon as he entered the classroom, it was clear as day that he smelled like a brewery.

"C'mon y'lil runt!" Dustin's dad said, grabbing Dustin's hand with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.

Tears filled Dustin's eyes as his father was hurting him merely by holding his hand. Logan gave Dustin a sympathetic look, and it was almost like the look Dustin returned said, "See? This is what I have to go home to."

"Wait." Miss Price said before Dustin's dad left with his son in tow. "Logan's grandma hasn't showed up yet. Could you take him home too?"

Dustin's heart skipped a beat. He was already scared of his dad because he was drunk, but the thought of Logan tagging along scared him even more. What if Logan was there when his dad beat him up? What if his dad beat Logan up too? It's not that he liked Logan or anything, but he knew how bad his father's beatings could get, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone; not even his worst enemy.

"Whatever. C'mon kid," Dustin's dad said, motioning for Logan to follow him.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Uh-oh! This isn't good. This isn't good at all. So a lot happened in this chapter. A lot. I don't know if I liked it. Surprise, surprise. It's just I don't know if too much happened in this chapter or not. Oh, and I apologize for giving Dustin a reason to be a jerk. I kind of hate how characters can't just be a jerk for the sake of being a jerk. There always has to be a reason behind it. Yet, here I am doing the exact same thing that I hate. But in my defense, logically, it makes sense for there to be a reason behind it, you know? Anyways, I'll be pleasantly surprised if anyone even liked this chapter…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush. I am not making a profit by writing this. No, scratch that. I totally am making a profit by writing this. A huge profit. Which is why I'm working at Wal-Mart. I'm being sarcastic again. Don't mind me…**

**In the Beginning**

There was a reason why Dustin said that he and Logan couldn't be friends. Because he knew that if they were to become friends, Logan would come over to his house sometimes, and Dustin didn't _want_ Logan to come over to his house. Dustin didn't want Logan to be around his dad. Dustin didn't want Logan to see what his dad does to him at home; the way he treats him. Also, Dustin didn't want his dad to do anything to Logan; to treat him how he treats Dustin. In a weird sort of way, the two of them _not_ becoming friends would _protect_ Logan from Dustin's dad.

Remarkably, Dustin's dad managed to drive home _without_ crashing. Granted, there were several close calls and numerous cases of road rage; Dustin's dad being one such case. The interior of Dustin's dad's car was littered with empty and partially full cans and bottles of beer. Both Logan and Dustin wrinkled their noses in disgust for the car smelled like a brewery.

Logan quickly learned that the interior of Dustin's house was just as trashy as the car was; in fact, it was even worse. Again, there were empty and partially full cans and bottles of beer strewn all over the place. As much as the car smelled like a brewery, the house smelled ten times worse.

The first thing out of Dustin's dad's mouth as soon as they walked in the door was, "Gimme a beer, Dustin!"

Dustin wasted no time obeying his dad's command. He knew fully well what happened if he so much as hesitated complying with his father's request. He scurried into the kitchen and tugged so hard on the refrigerator door that he nearly fell backwards on his butt. His eyes scanned the inside of the refrigerator frantically. Time was ticking. His father wouldn't be happy. He had taken far too long as it was.

"No, no, no!" Dustin said as he couldn't find any cans or bottles of beers.

He pulled open the drawers in a last-ditch effort, only to find they were bare.

"God, damn it! What's takin' you so long, boy?" Dustin's father hollered.

"There ain't no beer!" Dustin shouted back.

"Don't you raise your voice at me!"

Logan felt bad for Dustin. As much as Logan disliked Dustin, he didn't think _any_ father should treat their son the way Dustin's dad treated Dustin. A part of Logan even wanted to stick up for Dustin. However, he was much too frightened by Dustin's father to do that.

Dustin's dad stormed into the kitchen. Dustin hastily started to shut the refrigerator drawers. Dustin's father slammed the refrigerator door on Dustin's arm. The five-year-old started bawling his eyes out as he pried the door off his newly injured arm.

"What did I tell you 'bout leavin' the fridge door open?" Dustin's dad roared.

Dustin whimpered as he cradled his injured arm against his chest. He stared at his feet knowing that his father was upset with him. Dustin's dad then proceeded to slam the refrigerator door shut with far more force than necessary, causing both five-year-old boys to jump.

"I swear yer nothing but a worthless piece of shit! Great! Now I gotta drink warm beer!" Dustin's father screamed at the top of his lungs, as he opened up the pantry and retrieved a bottle of beer, unscrewing the cap and taking a nice long swig of the lukewarm alcohol.

He then spit a mist of beer in the face of his son, thoroughly repulsed by the temperature of it. Dustin squeezed his eyes shut too little too late. It wasn't long before he was crying his eyes out once again.

"Quit your fucking cryin'! That's all you can fucking do!" Dustin's dad hollered, only making his son cry even more.

Dustin's father raised his open bottle of beer in the air, fully intent on smashing it against the side of his worthless son's head. Dustin had no idea what was going on as he still had his eyes closed as tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

"Dustin, look out!" Logan shouted, shoving Dustin out of the way.

Several things happened in succession; Dustin got the wind knocked out of him as he fell to the floor, his eyes sprung open, and he heard the sound of glass shattering. Dustin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Logan fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. Ribbons of blood streaked down his face. Dustin scrambled to his feet and ran over to Logan.

"Logan! C'mon! Get up!" Dustin said before kneeling next to him, and shaking him with his good arm.

Nothing. Logan's eyes remained shut, and his body remained perfectly still. Shards of glass stuck out from the side of Logan's face. More shards of glass lay loosely on top of Logan's broken form. Even more shards of glass lay in the immediate vicinity.

"Shouldn't have got in the way," Dustin's dad remarked, obviously unconcerned.

Dustin felt a surge of gratitude towards Logan that left him confused. He kinda hated Logan, so why was he so worried about him? It was probably due to the fact that Logan's face was bloody and he wasn't moving. That beer bottle had been meant for Dustin. However, Logan actually saved him. Why would he do that?

"Get a trash bag and clean this place up, Dustin! This place looks like crap!" Dustin's dad shouted.

XXXXX

Like her grandson, Grandma Mitchell was lying on the kitchen floor. The only difference was that Logan's grandma was at the Mitchell residence whereas Logan was over at Dustin's house.

"Somebody, help me!" Grandma Mitchell called out desperately. "Anybody?"

She had went to leave the house to go pick Logan up from pre-Kindergarten when she fell. There was nothing around her that she could use to help pull herself to her feet. She couldn't get to the phone to call for help. She had no idea how long she had been sprawled out on the kitchen floor since she couldn't see the clock, but it sure felt like she had been lying on the kitchen floor for an eternity.

Grandma Mitchell had refused to live in a nursing home because she was the only family member Logan had left. She insisted on taking care of Logan herself. She couldn't do that if she were living in a nursing home because that was only a residence for senior citizens.

Given her age, Grandma Mitchell got around relatively well. She was pretty spry for an old lady. She didn't need a walker, cane, or wheelchair to get around. However, she had arthritis in her joints that would flare up every now and then. Plus, she had Alzheimer's disease. It was still in its early stages though.

Logan's grandma was sure Logan was wondering where she was right now. She feared he was still at the classroom waiting to be picked up. She felt so awful for keeping Logan waiting like she was. Her eyes prickled with tears.

"Please, help me! I have to go get my boy!" she shouted, but her shouts fell upon deaf ears.

XXXXX

"For the last time, I said no!" Dustin's dad yelled.

"But Logan's hurt! Please let me call 911," Dustin protested.

"What part of no do you not understand?"

Dustin's tiny hand gripped the phone, but he didn't dare disobey his father. Dustin's other arm hung limply at his side.

It took some time, and several trash bags, but the house actually _looked_ clean…for now. How it smelled was a completely different story. Dustin had stocked the refrigerator with cans and bottles of beer that were currently chilling.

Logan still lay on the kitchen floor, his blood seeping out onto the linoleum. His eyes still remained shut.

"Logan, please be okay. You gotta be so I can pick on you at school, okay?" Dustin said unsure if Logan could even hear him.

In reality, Dustin was actually kind of kidding. After what the two of them had been through together this afternoon, their relationship was forever changed whether they liked it or not. Dustin couldn't thank Logan enough for sacrificing himself for him when if the roles had been reversed, Dustin probably _wouldn't_ have done the same. He was just scared that he wouldn't be able to thank Logan though.

The thought alone brought tears to his eyes which Dustin valiantly tried to blink back. His father didn't approve of him crying. He always told Dustin that boys weren't supposed to cry. It seemed like every time Dustin cried, his dad yelled at him…or worse.

"Why wait? Pick on him now," Dustin's dad suggested.

"What?" Dustin responded.

"Don't make me repeat myself!"

Nothing about this felt right to Dustin. Logan was so helpless and defenseless right now. He couldn't fight back even if he wanted to.

"You either do as I say, or I'll do it for you!" Dustin's father said menacingly.

Dustin swallowed a lump that was beginning to form in his throat. As much as he didn't want to hurt Logan further, it was better than his dad hurting Logan. What choice did Dustin really have?

Dustin sat on top of Logan's chest, and started slapping him in the face, smacking him around. He didn't have the heart to punch Logan after he had pushed him out of the way earlier. Fragments of glass embedded themselves in Dustin's tiny hand as he continued to punish Logan.

"Get outta the way! You fight like a girl!" Dustin's dad yelled.

"No!" Dustin shouted back, summoning up courage he didn't know he possessed.

In a bizarre turn of events, Dustin actually took up a protective stance; standing between his father and a prone Logan.

"I said outta the way!" Dustin's dad screamed.

Dustin felt himself in free fall as he was shoved out of the way. The back of his head made contact with the corner of the counter. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as a warm, sticky substance began to seep out of the back of his skull.

XXXXX

Officer Garcia found Grandma Mitchell on her kitchen floor. The paramedics came and got her and took her to the local hospital. After interrupting Miss Price's date, and berating her, Officer Garcia found out that Logan had gone home with Dustin. Luckily, this was a small town. Everyone knew everybody. Everyone knew where everyone else lived too.

Even though he wanted to come too, Carlos was currently at home pouting because his father wouldn't let him come with him. Carlos _loved_ riding in the police car with his dad. Sometimes, he would even turn on the sirens too for his son.

Officer Garcia knew that Dustin's father was an alcoholic. He also knew that he had quite the temper. On multiple occasions, Officer Garcia had to break up a bar fight involving Dustin's dad at the local bar. More often than not, he discovered that Dustin's father instigated the fight.

The reason he wouldn't let Carlos come with him was because there was a chance that Dustin's father may have hurt Dustin or even Logan. Officer Garcia hoped against hope that he was wrong. There hadn't been any _reported_ incidents of child abuse at the residence, but that didn't mean that there were none.

Officer Garcia found that the door was unlocked, and opened it. He didn't care if he wasn't _exactly_ following protocol. He wasn't going to alert Dustin's father to his presence when he really wanted to catch him in the act. He saw that Dustin's father had hoisted a limp Logan in the air by the collar of his shirt.

"Put him down!" Officer Garcia commanded.

"As you wish," Dustin's dad replied, depositing Logan on the hard linoleum floor below, causing Officer Garcia to cringe.

Not too far away, Officer Garcia saw Dustin lying face up on the floor in a small pool of blood that seemed to emanate from the back of the little kid's head. Truthfully, he wasn't too fond of Dustin after hearing and seeing how he's terrorized Logan, but _no_ kid deserved to have their parent abuse them verbally or physically.

In one fluid movement, Officer Garcia had one of Dustin's father's arms painfully held behind his back.

"You're under arrest for two counts of child abuse," he said.

As he reached for his handcuffs, Dustin's dad threw his foot backwards, kicking Officer Garcia in the groin. The latter, dropping to the floor, holding his nether regions, and letting out anguished pains. Dustin's dad took this opportunity to flee the premises. He wasn't about to get arrested by a cop!

As he lay on the floor, Carlos' dad looked to his right and left and saw the two kids on the floor. Neither of them were moving. Both of them were bloody. Whereas Dustin was only bleeding from the back of his head, Logan seemed to be bleeding on the side of his face. Officer Garcia couldn't help but feel like he failed both boys. If only he had come sooner.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Yeah, sorry about the language. What can I say? Dustin's dad is an angry drunk. Also, I apologize for not really including Kendall, James, or Carlos in this chapter. It would have just seemed weird if I had given that they're not what this chapter was supposed to be about. Honestly, one draft of this chapter had Officer Garcia fatally shoot Dustin's dad, but I wanted to keep him around as an antagonist in this story. I know. I'm evil. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The idea for this chapter came to me at work yesterday. Haha. Go figure. Sorry for taking so long to update this. Inspiration is a tricky thing, and with four stories going at the same time, it's a toss-up when each one will updated. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

The front door to the Garcia residence opened, and a uniformed Officer Garcia walked in. Sylvia Garcia could instantly tell that something was wrong even though Officer Garcia couldn't have taken more than a few steps inside their house.

"You're home late," she commented.

Officer Garcia walked up to his wife, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He had been dreading breaking the news to her. Something like this didn't just roll of one's tongue so easily.

"We need to talk," Officer Garcia said.

"Okay," Sylvia responded uncertainly.

"Maybe you should sit down for this."

"I'll stand. What's wrong, sweetie?"

Officer Garcia sighed deeply.

"Dustin and Logan were physically abused by Dustin's father," he blurted out.

Mrs. Garcia let out a shocked gasp, covering her mouth with one of her hands. She didn't know Logan all too well. All she really knew about him was that he was becoming fast friends with Carlos. Sylvia knew even less about Dustin. The only thing she really knew about him was that he was a bully. Bully or not, they were little boys! No kid deserved to be beaten by their father.

"Are they…" Sylvia started to ask.

"Yeah. They're fine. They're in the hospital. The doctors want to keep them overnight for observation, but they should be released tomorrow," Mr. Garcia replied.

"That's a relief!"

"There's more though."

Now Sylvia definitely knew something was up with her husband; he wouldn't even look her in the eye. That was really unlike him. He was never one to shy away from making eye contact.

"Logan's grandma was also admitted to the hospital. I found her on the floor. She had fallen. The doctors say that she fractured her hip, and she might need hip replacement surgery. When Logan gets released, he won't have anyone to look after him, so I was wondering if he could stay here with us," Officer Garcia said.

"Sure. I'd love to have him over! It will be nice to finally meet him! I've already heard so much about him from Carlos that it's like we've already met!" Sylvia responded.

Actually, Officer Garcia had chickened out because that wasn't what he wanted to ask first. He didn't doubt that his wife would allow Logan to stay with them temporarily while his grandma had her operation. What he was about to ask of his wife next was what really worried Officer Garcia.

"There's a warrant out for Dustin's dad's arrest. Dustin will need a place to stay too otherwise Child Protective Services will have to intervene and place him in a foster home. I was wondering if he could stay with us too," Mr. Garcia stated.

"Absolutely not!" Sylvia exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to have that boy living under the same roof as _our_ boy! I don't care what Dustin's been through at the hands of his father!"

"I'll make sure he doesn't step out of line."

"What about when you're not here? What if he steps out of line even when you are here? What if he hurts Logan, Carlos, or both of them right under our noses? No! I won't allow it!"

"Would you rather he go into the foster system?"

"It's better than living with us!"

It was rare that Officer Garcia got into any kind of argument with his wife. It was so rare in fact that neither knew how to handle this situation because it was so foreign to them. Sylvia knew that her husband enjoyed helping people. His downfall was that he tried to help too many people; even people who didn't deserve his help.

"Where's Carlos?" Mr. Garcia asked.

"He's in the living room watching TV," Sylvia answered uneasily.

For all she knew, her husband was going to try to talk Carlos into letting Dustin stay with them. It was a horrible thought, but she was worried that he was going to try to turn Carlos against her so that it was two-on-one.

"Will you relax, Sylvia? I'm just going to tell our son that Logan's going to be staying with us for awhile," Officer Garcia remarked.

Sylvia responded with a small smile. She was glad that he wasn't going to fight her on the whole Dustin matter. She was also really excited to meet Logan. One thing was for sure; Carlos would be thrilled to have Logan live with them.

XXXXX

"Hey buddy! What are you watching?" Officer Garcia asked upon entering the living room.

Carlos tore his eyes away from Spongebob Squarepants, and raced over to his father with an enormous grin on his face.

"Papi!" Carlos shouted.

Officer Garcia dropped down on both knees just in time for Carlos to fling himself at his father, throwing his tiny arms around him in an eager hug.

"How's my boy?" Officer Garcia asked.

Just like that, Carlos' smile disappeared. He narrowed his eyes at his father. He folded his arms over his chest and went into full-on pout mode.

"You're late!" Carlos said accusatorily.

"I know. I'm sorry. I can explain," Officer Garcia responded.

"Then explain."

Carlos' father scooped his son up in his arms, and walked over to the couch, putting him down. He sat next to his son, pivoting his body so that he was facing him.

"I had to take Logan to the hospital," Officer Garcia stated.

"What? Why?" Carlos replied, tears filling his eyes.

"He got hurt."

"Who hurt him? Why would anyone hurt him? It was Dustin, wasn't it? Why won't he just leave Logan alone?"

Officer Garcia flinched at the mentioning of Dustin's name. He hoped his son didn't notice. He had neglected to mention Dustin because Carlos and Dustin weren't exactly friends either. Dustin had bullied Carlos as well.

"It wasn't Dustin. It was Dustin's father," Mr. Garcia answered.

"Dustin's father? What was Logie doing with Dustin's daddy?" Carlos asked.

"I guess he picked Dustin and Logan up from school."

His blood boiled as he was suddenly reminded of Miss Price and her negligence. If it wasn't for her, Dustin and Logan wouldn't be in the hospital right now, and Dustin's dad wouldn't be on the run from the authorities.

"Logie was at Dustin's house?" Carlos asked.

"He was," Officer Garcia replied simply.

He wrapped his son up in a comforting hug. It broke his heart seeing him cry. At the same time, it was touching how much Carlos obviously cared about Logan. That would certainly make this next part easier.

"Logan's grandma…can't take care of Logan right now, so how would you feel about Logan staying with us for a bit?" Officer Garcia asked.

Carlos' eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Like a sleepover? Is he staying with us tonight? Where is he? He's waiting outside, isn't he?" Carlos replied.

Carlos scrambled off the couch and started to take off running towards the front door. Officer Garcia was able to catch up with him in no time at all. He picked him up and held his squirming son.

"Not tonight, Carlos. He's at the hospital, remember? But after that, he can stay here. How does that sound?" Mr. Garcia asked.

"I can't wait!" Carlos exclaimed.

XXXXX

The next morning, it was another day of Pre-Kindergarten. Officer Garcia saw to it that Miss Price was fired for letting an intoxicated parent pick up not one, but two little boys. Their new teacher was named Ms. O'Haire. She had fiery red hair that was in stark contrast to her chalky white skin adorned with freckles.

Kendall and James quickly noticed that Logan was missing. They couldn't help but notice that Carlos looked even more cheerful than usual. It was like his smile was stuck on his face forever.

"Why are you so happy?" Kendall asked.

"Logie's gonna live with me and my mommy and daddy," Carlos answered excitedly.

"No fair!" James whined.

Truth be told, James was jealous of Carlos. He was shooting him dirty looks that went unnoticed by Carlos. Nothing could put a damper on his bright mood. James couldn't help but think that he was Logan' friend first. If Logan was going to live with anyone, it should be James, not Carlos!

"Wait. I'm confused. Why is Logie gonna live with you? What about his mommy?" Kendall asked.

Carlos merely shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. My papi didn't say. All I know is that she can't take care of Logan right now. But it's okay because me and my mommy and my daddy will instead."

"I hate you!" James remarked, roughly brushing past Carlos.

Carlos' bottom lip trembled as he frowned, eyes stinging with tears.

"Does he really hate me? Why does he hate me? I thought the two of us were starting to be friends," Carlos commented.

Kendall let out an exasperated sigh.

"Who cares? You don't need him as a friend! You got me…and Logan," Kendall said tacking on Logan's name as an afterthought.

"I guess," Carlos said, watching James, and giving him an apologetic smile that went unnoticed by James. Carlos wasn't sure what he did wrong, but he was sorry for whatever he did.

XXXXX

Kendall was glad that Carlos was playing with him again. For awhile there, it looked like he might lose Carlos to James. Now James wanted nothing to do with Carlos, and Kendall was relieved.

He wasn't sure how he felt about Logan though. Kendall hated James, but when he thought about it, he didn't really hate Logan. He felt the same need to protect him that he felt towards Carlos. Truth be told though, he was pretty jealous of Logan. After all, he would be living with Carlos for a little bit. Kendall wanted to live with Carlos. That would be so cool.

Carlos was glad that Kendall was playing with him again. He honestly couldn't remember why they stopped playing together in the first place. Whatever it was, Carlos apparently already forgave him for it. Or if not, at least forgot about it.

He thought that he and James were growing closer up until James told him that he hated him. Carlos was a little prankster, but when it came to people saying stuff about him, even if they were only joking, Carlos took it way too seriously.

Officer Garcia brought Logan and Dustin to school. They were late, but that was to be expected given how they were just released from the hospital that morning. Yesterday's events changed the dynamic between Logan and Dustin. Kendall, James, and Carlos saw this as well, and didn't like it one bit.

Everywhere Logan went, Dustin followed. Dustin's eyes were constantly watching Logan. If Logan was looking at something, Dustin would see what it was Logan was looking at. Once more, there was a bandage on the side of Logan's head. The sad thing was that Kendall, James, and Carlos had grown accustomed to seeing a bandage on Logan's head; like that was the norm.

Kendall stormed over to Dustin. James did as well, but Kendall had less distance to travel since he was closer. Kendall pushed Dustin to the floor.

"Stay away from Logan!" Kendall warned.

Carlos stared at the floor. For once, it wasn't Dustin that hurt Logan. He failed to tell Kendall and James this, but he didn't feel the need to correct them. He was okay with letting them blame Dustin for Logan getting hurt again.

"Kendall, we don't shove in the classroom!" Ms. O'Haire scolded, dragging Kendall off to the time-out corner.

James had taken up a protective stance in front of Logan, daring Dustin with his eyes to try to pull something.

Officer Garcia saw his son though his son didn't see him. He sighed.

"Carlos, you didn't tell them?" he asked.

"Tell us what?" James asked.

"_I_ didn't hurt, Logie! I got hurt too, see?" Dustin said, showing James and Carlos the bandage on the back of his head. "My daddy hurt us."

James shook his head. It didn't make sense to him. Fathers don't hurt their kids. Although a part of James thought that even if there was some truth to what Dustin was saying, Dustin deserved it for all the mean things he's done to Logan and Carlos even.

"It's true," Logan said, speaking up.

James turned to Logan and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. He desperately needed Logan to make him understand. Now what didn't make sense to James was why Dustin's father would hurt Logan. Why would anyone hurt Logan?

"Why would Dustin's daddy do that to you?" James asked.

"Because he gets really mean when he drinks," Dustin answered.

James released his hold on Logan, spun around on his heels, and glared daggers at Dustin.

"I wasn't talking to you!" James exclaimed.

The two boys stuck their tongues out at each other before James turned his attention back to Logan, waiting to hear his answer.

"Dustin's daddy was being really mean to Dustin. I tried to get him to stop, but then Dustin's daddy got really mad at me. I got hit in the head, and that's all I remember," Logan answered.

"See? I told you!" Dustin remarked.

"Where's your daddy now?" Carlos asked Dustin.

"He's on the run. The police are looking for him," Officer Garcia answered.

"Wait. Then who's going to pick me up from school? Where will I live?" Dustin asked.

Officer Garcia crouched down so that he was at Dustin's level. Carlos had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach upon seeing this. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was though, but he didn't like it.

"Remember? We talked about this at the hospital. Your foster mother is going to come get you from school. A nice man and woman are going to take care of you," Officer Garcia answered.

"Why can't I live with Logan?" Dustin asked.

"Because Logan's grandma…" Officer Garcia started to reply.

"My mommy," Logan corrected.

"…Logan's mommy can't take care of Logan right now either. She's at the hospital," Officer Garcia finished.

Carlos, feeling bold, stepped forward and said, "Yeah, Logie's going to stay with _me_!"

Officer Garcia wasn't sure what to make of his son's uncharacteristic behavior. He knew that Carlos and Dustin weren't exactly the best of friends, what with Dustin having a history of bullying Carlos. However, it was almost like Carlos was resentful of Dustin. He had never seen this side of his son before. He was a people person. He usually got along with everybody.

Dustin took Logan's hand, and led him further into the classroom.

"Come on, Logan. Let's go play," he said.

James and Carlos stood there with their mouths agape. Did that really just happen? They almost liked it better when Dustin bullied Logan. Not that they liked it when Logan got bullied. Just at least then they didn't have to compete for Logan's attention. Now they have one more person to contend with when it comes to playing with Logan.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I think this chapter started off good, but I think I liked the first half better than the second half. This is where you tell me that you liked all of the chapter. Okay, okay. You don't have to. I mean only if you actually feel that way…**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: No, your eyes aren't deceiving you; I actually am updating this story. I need to update No Way Out too, but since I'm in such a Cargan mood as of late…**

**Disclaimer: Even after all this time since my last update, I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

"And this is my room, and my mommy and daddy's room is right across the hall," Carlos said excitedly as he was giving Logan the grand tour of his casa.

"Whoa, Carlos! Slow down!" Logan said with an amused smile on his face as Carlos had a hold of his wrist and was all but dragging him behind him.

Carlos stopped in his tracks abruptly and started almost studying Logan's face. Logan had no idea why Carlos was looking at him so funny.

"There's no time!" Carlos whined. "Now _come on_!"

Carlos showed him where the bathroom was. He showed him where the living room was. He led him through the kitchen. Then, they went downstairs to the basement. Logan wasn't sure why Carlos was showing him what was down in the basement. Logan figured he probably wouldn't be spending much time if any down there anyways.

"This is where mommy comes to do the laundry," Carlos stated before looking upwards almost as if he was staring at something on the ceiling. "I don't really like it down here. It's scary, but it's okay because you're here with me, so it's not as bad."

Logan had hardly been able to get a word in edge-wise on Carlos. He had been talking a mile a minute, and he seemed to be moving equally as fast. Logan was both amused and frightened by Carlos' enthusiasm.

"Boys, dinner's almost ready. Go wash your hands," Sylvia Garcia's voice carried throughout the house.

"Yay! Food!" Carlos exclaimed, racing up the stairs with Logan in tow.

XXXXX

Officer Garcia, Carlos, and Logan were in the backyard after dinner. They were currently in the middle of a game of red light, green light. Officer Garcia was "it." The rules of the game were simple. When "it" faces the players and says, "Red light," the other players must stop moving. When "it" says, "Green light," their back is to the other players, and the other players try to reach "it." If you don't halt when "Red light" is called out, you have to return to the starting line. First one to reach "it" wins and gets to be "it" next.

Carlos was back at the starting line while Logan was halfway there. It was clear that the two boys had entirely different approaches to the game. While Logan was cautious about advancing toward Officer Garcia, Carlos had reckless abandon and broke out in a full-on sprint. This made it _really_ difficult to stop on a dime, and that was why Carlos was currently back at the starting line.

"Green light," Officer Garcia said, turning his back on the two children.

Logan crept his way ever closer to Officer Garcia virtually tiptoeing his way over. Meanwhile, Carlos lowered his head, and charged full steam ahead. In a few short seconds, Carlos had managed to close some of the distance between him and Logan.

"Red light," Officer Garcia called out, facing the two boys.

Logan became as still as a statue. Meanwhile, Carlos' feet stopped moving, but his arms flailed about wildly as he tried to maintain his balance. It didn't really matter anyways because Carlos didn't cease all movement, and so it was back to the starting line with him.

"I don't like this game!" Carlos complained even though he had a smile on his face.

Logan rolled his eyes at his friend. He hadn't really had much of a chance to watch Carlos' game play, but he could hear the sound of Carlos' little feet when he broke out into a run. Therefore, it was fairly easy for Logan to deduce how Carlos was playing the game.

Even though Logan was currently winning, Carlos was convinced that he could beat him. Logan was moving far too slowly. There was no doubt in Carlos' mind that he would be able to not only catch up to him, but pass him. As far as Carlos was concerned, he didn't understand Logan's game play. This wasn't a game of patience, was it? Or maybe it was, and that's why he was currently losing to Logan. His lips turned upside down. He didn't think that he had it in him to be patient.

"Green light," Officer Garcia announced as he turned his back on the two boys.

While Logan continued to inch his way to Carlos' dad, Carlos decided to try a different strategy. Rather than break out in a full-on sprint, Carlos was jogging his way towards his father. By doing so, he had managed to make it halfway to Logan.

"Red light," Officer Garcia said as he spun around.

To Officer Garcia's surprise, and to Carlos' surprise, he was able to freeze in place this time around. Logan was roughly 25 feet away from "it."

"Green light," Carlos' father called out as he turned his back on Carlos and Logan.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Carlos continued to jog, edging his way closer to his father. Meanwhile, Logan stuck to his guns as well, tiptoeing. Logan started to get nervous when he heard Carlos right behind him.

"Red light," Officer Garcia stated, turning back around.

Logan was about 20 feet away from "it," but Carlos was only a few paces behind Logan.

"Green light," Carlos' dad said as he once again had his back to the kids. "Red light."

Carlos froze in mid-stride. One of his feet was even suspended in mid-air. Somehow, he managed to keep as still as can be. Logan had frozen in place as well.

"Green light," Officer Garcia said.

Logan decided to adapt Carlos' strategy, and now both boys were jogging towards Officer Garcia. The sound of laughter rang through the air. Both boys were small. Both boys were quick, but Logan was just a little bit quicker. What ended up being the deciding factor was this was Logan's first time using a jogging strategy. Carlos had been using it for a bit.

"Red light!" Carlos' dad exclaimed as he turned to face them.

Carlos was able to stop in time, but Logan wasn't. He actually fell flat on his face in the grass. Carlos wanted to do nothing more but point and laugh at Logan's misfortune, but he couldn't move unless he wanted to return to the starting line as well, so instead, he settled for laughing at Logan.

"It's not funny!" Logan snapped back. "You're so mean!"

Carlos' lips started to tremble as tears started to fill his eyes. Soon Logan could hear the sound of Carlos sniffling.

"You don't really think I'm mean, do you?" Carlos asked hopefully.

"No," Logan said instantaneously before tacking on, "I do think you cheat though."

"Hey! You're just mad cuz I'm winning!"

And Carlos _did_ win on the next turn. Carlos gave his dad a celebratory high-five when he reached him. Meanwhile Logan had a case of sour grapes. He continued to grumble about the game not being fair and Carlos cheating. He didn't stop there though. He went on to say that Officer Garcia cheated as well. He folded his arms over his chest and pouted his lips, refusing to look at either of them.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that, Logie!" Carlos pleaded.

Logan cupped a hand around his ear, and craned his neck in the direction of Carlos' voice.

"What was that? Did someone say something to me?" Logan asked, an edge to his voice.

Father and son exchanged a look with one another. Officer Garcia nodded his head. Carlos got a running start before tackling Logan to the ground. He then proceeded to tickle him. Logan started laughing and squirming.

"Oh no! Not that! Stop!" Logan said in between giggles.

Officer Garcia soon joined his son in tickling Logan. They both knew that Logan was _very_ ticklish.

"Seriously, I'm gonna pee my pants!" Logan cried out.

"You better not!" Carlos replied, continuing his onslaught.

"Then stop tickling me!"

Carlos and his dad _did_ stop tickling Logan; just not right away. When they _did_ stop though, Logan had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. As much as he loved his "mommy," Logan really liked living with Carlos. He and his daddy could do things with Logan that Logan's "mommy" couldn't.

Carlos wished that Logan could live with him forever. Even though Logan wasn't _technically_ Carlos' brother, with Logan living here, it almost like he _was_, and Carlos never had a brother before. He didn't even have any siblings though his parents talked about having more kids in the future.

XXXXX

Sylvia Garcia looked out the kitchen window fondly at her husband, her son, and Logan playing in the backyard. There was no doubt in her mind that her husband was _really_ good with children. He had really seem to taken a liking to Logan as well.

This was Logan's first time at their house. Mrs. Garcia was used to Kendall coming over to play. A part of her was worried that with Carlos spending so much time with Logan now, he would forget about Kendall. It wasn't that she didn't like Logan. That wasn't it at all. She just didn't want her son to lose Kendall's friendship.

It was a little late for Kendall to come over and play right now, but she decided that in the future, she would invite Kendall over to play. She wasn't sure how Kendall and Logan got along with each other, but she convinced herself that she'd be doing Carlos a favor. He no doubt would be happy to see Kendall.

In the backyard, they were playing Simon says now. Officer Garcia was Simon. The rules were pretty straightforward. The players had to do whatever Simon says so long as the command is proceeded by the words, "Simon says." If they do the command but the words "Simon says" weren't said, then the player is eliminated.

"Simon says touch your nose," Officer Garcia said.

Carlos and Logan both obeyed the command, placing a tiny finger on their nose. Logan snickered as Carlos looked cross-eyed when he touched his nose. Even Officer Garcia chuckled a bit at his son's antics.

"Jump up and down," Officer Garcia commanded.

Carlos hopped up and down while Logan remained stationary. As soon as he realized that Logan wasn't bouncing up and down, Carlos realized the error of his ways.

"Nope. I didn't say, 'Simon says,' son," Carlos' dad stated.

"No fair!" Carlos whined.

Logan walked over to Carlos and placed a hand on his shoulder. He had a huge smirk on his face.

"You're just mad cuz you lost," Logan said, practically saying to Carlos what he said to him earlier.

"Haha. Very funny," Carlos said, clearly unamused.

"Aren't I?"

Carlos shoved Logan playfully. Though surprised, Logan remained on his feet.

"Don't shove me!" Logan exclaimed as he shoved Carlos back in a not-so-playful manner.

"Oh, but it's okay for you to shove me?" Carlos snapped back before shoving Logan.

Officer Garcia quickly got between the two feuding boys. He wasn't even sure what happened. How did things spiral out of control so quickly? They were getting along with each other just a few seconds ago!

"Boys, boys! No shoving!" Officer Garcia scolded.

"He started it!" Carlos exclaimed, pointing his finger at Logan.

"Nu-uh! You did!" Logan retaliated.

"Enough!" Officer Garcia said, raising his voice. "It doesn't matter who started it. Just stop!"

Carlos stared at the grass beneath his feet. He drew circles in the ground with his foot. He had a guilty look on his face. He knew that he was in trouble with his father. Logan stood beside Carlos as he flung an arm over his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Carlitos. I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Logan said apologetically.

"I know," Carlos responded.

"Hey, wanna play tag?"

"Sure."

"Kay. You're it!"

Logan tapped Carlos on the shoulder before running away.

"Hey! No fair! I wasn't ready!" Carlos called out as he gave chase.

Just like that, both boys were back to laughing. Officer Garcia had an amused look on his face as he watched the two of them. It had only been seconds ago that they were fighting, and now they were laughing and playing with each other again.

Mr. Garcia and Mrs. Garcia weren't the only two watching the boys play in the backyard though. Parked in the street directly across from the backyard was Dustin's father. He took a swig of beer from his bottle.

Dustin's father had been on the run. He couldn't risk going home because the cops would probably find him and arrest him there. So he never stayed in the same place two nights in a row. He was almost constantly driving, on the run from the authorities.

He had been looking for his son. A little bird had told him that Logan was staying with Carlos for the time being, and Dustin's dad thought Dustin might be as well. However, watching the two boys play in the backyard, it was clear Dustin was somewhere else.

The same little bird had told him that Logan's grandma was in the hospital. He might have to pay her a visit. If not at the hospital, then when she got back home. See, Dustin's dad had an axe to grind with Logan. He wouldn't be on the run if it wasn't for Logan. Sure, he could go after Logan, which he still might, but another way to get to Logan is by hurting those he cares about, and that means his grandma.

Besides, if Dustin's dad wanted to hurt Logan, it would be too easy because now he knew where to find him. Sure Carlos' dad was protecting them, but he couldn't protect them forever. Dustin's dad might just have to bide his time and wait until he wasn't around to protect Carlos and Logan. That would be when he struck like a viper.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Yeah…so in case you haven't noticed by now, my creative juices come in spurts. Something along the lines of a watched pot never boils…Big Time Sick and In the Beginning are winning in the poll of which two stories you want me to focus on finishing first. Don't like that? Do something about it. Go to the poll on my profile page and vote.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…still…**

**In the Beginning**

Grandma Mitchell just got released from the hospital. Carlos Garcia Sr. made sure she got home okay after taking Carlos and Logan to school. Having just had hip replacement surgery, Grandma Mitchell needed at the very least a cane in order to get around. The doctors and nurses insisted that she use a walker or wheelchair instead, but Grandma Mitchell wasn't having any of that.

"I could pick Logan up from school later today if you like," Officer Garcia said.

"No, no. That's okay. I'd like to surprise him myself if you wouldn't mind," Mrs. Mitchell replied.

"Okay, but if you change your mind…"

"I won't, but thanks. I can't even begin to thank you enough for all that you've done for me already."

"It was no problem at all. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With one more glance over his shoulder to ensure that Grandma Mitchell really was okay, Officer Garcia left the Mitchell residence. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought about how independent and…_stubborn_…Grandma Mitchell was.

If Officer Garcia had been paying attention, he would have noticed someone parked in the street across from the Mitchell residence. This individual was in a stolen car and was carefully watching the interaction that had just taken place between Logan's grandma and Carlos' dad.

"This is going to be too easy," Dustin's dad commented with a sinister grin plastered on his face.

XXXXX

"Okay class, today we're going on a field trip," Ms. O'Haire announced.

The classroom erupted in a chorus of cheers, applause, and all-around excitement. James and Carlos both had the same idea; they ran over to Logan, grabbed one of his hands, and started pulling him behind them. James was going one way, and Carlos was going the other.

"I wanna sit by Logan on the bus!" James exclaimed.

"No, I wanna!" Carlos yelled back.

"You get to see him all day! I only get to see him here at school!"

"So?"

"So that's why I should get to sit by him!"

Logan looked back and forth from James to Carlos like the two of them were in the middle of a heated tennis match. He wanted to speak up and say something, but he didn't want to make matters worse. In the meantime, with the way his arms were being pulled, Logan felt like his shoulders would pop out of his sockets at any moment now.

"How about I sit with Carlos, and James sits with Logan?" Kendall suggested, approaching the three of them.

"I think that's a great idea!" James responded.

Kendall gave James a look that let him know that he wasn't doing this for _his_ benefit. Carlos dropped Logan's hand and looked up at the ceiling, giving Kendall's idea some thought.

"Or how about I sit with Logan, and you three babies can do whatever you want?" Dustin said, inserting himself into the conversation.

"I'm not a baby!" Carlos retorted, eyes brimming with tears.

"How about you mind your own beeswax?" Kendall said to Dustin.

"Yeah! No one likes you!" James remarked.

"Will you stop that? Quit agreeing with me!" Kendall shouted, rounding on James.

James shrugged his shoulders innocently. He didn't like Kendall any more than Kendall liked him, but it just so happened that today, he was saying things that incidentally enough, he happened to agree with.

"You don't like me?" Dustin asked. "Big deal! Like I care!"

"Okay, what's going on here?" Ms. O'Haire said, walking over to the feuding boys.

"Everyone but me wants to sit next to Logie on the bus," Kendall answered.

Having heard what Kendall said, Logan frowned. Here he thought he and Kendall were starting to become friends. Apparently, Kendall didn't feel the same way. Logan didn't understand why Kendall didn't like him.

Ms. O'Haire, got down on Logan's level and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Logan, sweetie, who would _you_ like to sit next to on the bus?" she inquired.

Logan looked from James to Carlos to Dustin nervously. He started stammering unintelligibly. He didn't want to make anyone mad, but only two people could fit to a bus seat. Three could fit, but it would be a really tight squeeze, and that might be uncomfortable for all three of them. Besides, someone would still be left out, and Logan didn't want to leave anyone out. Ideally, the bus seats should be circular so all three of them could sit next to Logan, but alas, they aren't circular…

"Kendall. Come on, Kendall! Let's go!" Logan exclaimed, grabbing Kendall's hand, and pulling him behind him.

The jaws of Carlos, James, and Dustin all dropped. That was the last thing they were expecting. Even Kendall looked like he wasn't sure what to make of this new development. After Logan, dragged Kendall out of the classroom, Carlos turned to James.

"Wanna sit next to me on the bus?" he asked.

"I guess," James answered rather unenthusiastically.

Dustin looked on as the two of them too left the classroom. He remained rooted in place for a few moments before he left the classroom as well, head hanging low, feet dragging behind him.

XXXXX

The doorbell to the Mitchell residence rang for a third consecutive time.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Grandma Mitchell shouted.

She opened the door, and found herself face-to-face with Dustin's dad.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Where is he?" Dustin's father demanded, roughly brushing past Grandma Mitchell as he barged his way into the house.

Logan's grandma was barely able to keep herself upright. She thought this guy looked familiar, but she wasn't sure how she knew him. That came with the territory of having Alzheimer's. She knew faces, but couldn't put names to them, or vice versa.

"Where is who?" Grandma Mitchell asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, old lady!" Dustin's dad remarked.

Grandma Mitchell wrinkled her face in disgust. She could smell the alcohol on this guy's breath. Not to mention that his clothes seemed to be saturated in the unpleasant, overly powerful stench.

Using her walking cane, she hobbled up the stairs after Dustin's father. After he searched through all the rooms upstairs, coming up empty, he stood before the senior citizen who had just made it to the top of the stairs.

"This is the last time I'll ask you. Where is he?" he bellowed.

"Who? Logan?" Grandma Mitchell replied.

That wasn't the answer he had been hoping for, and with one violent shove, he sent Logan's grandma tumbling down the stairwell. She came to a stop at the bottom of the stairwell, her neck broken. Though she was dead, her eyes were wide open in terror.

XXXXX

The class had gone to a museum for their field trip. After about an hour of following Ms. O'Haire and their museum guide around, the five boys became bored, and decided to play a game of hide and seek instead. Well, the others didn't want to include Dustin, but Logan felt bad for him, and invited him to play with them.

"…eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Ready or not, here I come," Logan called out.

Carlos clamped a hand over his mouth in a last ditch effort to muffle his giggling. He hid behind the fossil of a brachiosaurus. It may not come as much of a surprise, but Carlos happened to be the closest to Logan's location.

Logan rolled his eyes as he could hear Carlos giggling nearby. It was obvious that Carlos wasn't very good at this game, but Logan figured this didn't bother Carlos the slightest bit. He peeked his head around the corner, and Carlos took off running. Logan gave chase.

Carlos ran into the men's restroom, and clambered into one of the stalls. Just as he shut the door to the stall, Logan entered the restroom. Little did either boy know that they weren't the only one in the restroom; Dustin's dad was as well.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Logan said in a singsong voice. "I know you're in here, Carlos! I saw you run in here!"

Carlos was perched on top of the toilet, his feet dangling over the sides. He clamped both hands over his mouth. He was making sure that he didn't accidentally flush the toilet. That would only give him away.

Logan felt a hand cover his mouth out of nowhere. He tried to scream out, but his screams were muffled. His unknown assailant had scooped Logan up into the air with ease, and had an arm wrapped securely around his waist. Logan kicked his feet and thrashed about.

Dustin's father reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a tranquilizer. He plunged the syringe into Logan's neck, and the effect was immediate. He quietly laid Logan down on the bathroom floor, and hid himself from view once more.

Carlos started to get worried when he couldn't hear Logan anymore. It was one thing for Logan to not be saying anything, but Carlos didn't hear Logan moving around at all, and that concerned Carlos. He opened up the stall.

"Logie, are you okay?" Carlos asked in a scared voice.

After taking but a few steps, Carlos saw Logan sprawled out on the floor as still as could be. Carlos quickly kneeled down beside his friend, grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, and shook him.

"Logie, wake up! What happened?" Carlos cried out.

That's when Carlos felt something prick him in the neck, and the next thing he knew, his eyelids were heavy, and he too found himself unconscious. Dustin's father stuffed both syringes back into his jacket pocket. He walked over to the window and opened it. He returned to Carlos and Logan, scooping one boy up in each of his arms, and exited out the window.

XXXXX

As luck would have it, James happened to be hiding in the women's restroom right next door. He thought he heard Carlos' voice a little bit ago. He groaned as he left his hiding place. He had been waiting in the girls' restroom for what seemed like an eternity, and Logan still hadn't found him. Either he sucked at playing hide and seek, or he just wasn't trying very hard.

James left the women's restroom, and decided to see if Carlos was in the men's restroom still. He got down on his hands and knees, and peeked under each stall, but Carlos was nowhere to be found.

"Carlos?" James called out, just to be sure.

James received no answer. A part of him wanted to think nothing of it, but another part of him had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was horribly wrong here.

Kendall entered the restroom.

"There you are, James! The teacher's been lookin' for you. The field trip's over. Time to head back," Kendall said.

"You haven't seen Carlos or Logan, have you?" James asked.

"No. I got sick of waitin' for Logan to come find me. Why do you ask?"

James contemplated telling Kendall that he heard Carlos' voice come from the bathroom a little while back, but he decided not to tell him. It was probably nothing. He was probably just overreacting.

"It's nothing," James answered.

XXXXX

Logan woke up, and immediately went into sensory overload. He noticed a bunch of different things all at the same time. One of the first things he noticed was that it was really cold wherever he was. Another thing he noticed was that there were frozen slabs of meat hanging from the ceiling. Yet another thing he noticed was Carlos lying on the floor a few feet away from him. He knelt down beside him, and shook him.

"Carlos, wake up!" Logan urged.

Carlos cracked his eyes open. He wrapped his arms around himself as a shiver coursed through his small frame.

"Where are we?" Carlos asked. He was both amazed and scared when he could see his own breath when he talked.

"Dunno, but we gotta get out of here!" Logan replied, before abruptly leaving Carlos' side.

"Whatcha doin'?" Carlos asked, not wanting to be left alone.

"Lookin' for a door. There's gotta be one somewhere!"

Carlos trailed behind Logan. The older boy's eyes lit up in excitement upon spotting one. He ran over to it eagerly. He slid a bit on the floor, and would have fallen, if Carlos hadn't grabbed him by the arm and steadied him.

"Thanks!" Logan said, smiling in gratitude at Carlos.

Logan was perplexed when there wasn't so much as a handle or a knob on the door. He tried pushing on the door, but it wouldn't budge. Carlos helped pushing too, but even through their combined effort, it still wouldn't open. Logan pounded his fist on the door repeatedly.

"Help! Is someone out there? We're trapped!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Carlos tugged on the sleeve of Logan's t-shirt.

"I'm scared," Carlos said.

"I am too, Carlos. I am too," Logan replied.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I'm so evil…Well, actually Dustin's dad is. This is me deflecting the blame…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

"Let us out! Please? Somebody help us!" Logan cried out, pounding his tiny fists against the inside of the locked freezer door.

Carlos was really worried about his friend. Logan seemed to be freaking out for some reason or another, and Carlos wasn't sure why. He was scared too, but Logan seemed frantic and desperate to escape. He winced at how hoarse Logan's voice was already starting to sound. Logan had been screaming for help practically non-stop.

"Logie, calm down. Here, come sit down next to me," Carlos said, patting the floor next to him.

Logan shook his head fiercely causing Carlos to frown deeper still.

"I don't like it in here! I gotta get out of here!" Logan remarked.

He pushed against the door with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. He tried pulling it even though there wasn't really anything for him to pull, but that too proved to be a fruitless effort. Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes. It wasn't long before he got exhausted, and his knees gave out on him. He sank to the ground. Carlos scooted over to him, wrapping his arms around Logan, trying to keep the both of them warm.

Logan was starting to hyperventilate, and Carlos had no idea what to do. Little did Carlos know that Logan was claustrophobic. Carlos didn't even know what claustrophobia was.

Carlos had never felt so cold before in his life. That was saying something too because they lived in Minnesota where winters could get pretty brutal. The difference was that they dressed accordingly for the unforgiving winters. Carlos and Logan were trapped in a freezer wearing nothing but t-shirts and jeans. They didn't have over-sized coats, gloves, scarves, snow boots, snow pants, tons of layers of clothes.

"Hey, look at me," Carlos said.

Logan's eyes darted around the walk-in freezer wildly, never giving up their search for some means of escape. His breathing remained rapid and erratic as he continued to hyperventilate.

"We're gonna get out of here. Do you hear me? My papi will find us. I just know he will," Carlos stated.

Carlos tried to ignore the fact that he could see his breath as he spoke. He tried to ignore the fact that he was starting to lose feeling in his fingers and toes.

XXXXX

"Kendall, sweetie, someone's here to see you," Jennifer Knight called out.

Kendall came bounding down the stairs taking two at a time. He had a huge grin on his face that quickly disappeared when he saw that his visitor wasn't Carlos; it was James. He folded his arms over his chest, and his posture became rigid.

"What are _you_ doin' here?" Kendall asked.

James didn't like going to Kendall for help anymore than Kendall liked having James over at his house.

"Nice to see you too," James replied sarcastically.

Both boys were silent as they stood there and brooded, refusing to talk to one another any more than necessary. It was no secret that the two of them weren't exactly the best of friends. Heck, they weren't even friends at all!

"Did you want something?" Kendall demanded.

James tried not to think anything of how cold Kendall was behaving towards him. After all, it's not like he cared about anything Kendall thought, did, or said. He wouldn't be surprised if the feeling was mutual.

"I just wanted to know if you've talked to Carlos lately. I haven't heard from Logan," James said glumly.

Kendall felt like a horrible person for being so awful to James when the truth of the matter was that they were both suffering tremendously. James missed Logan much like Kendall missed Carlos. He had a bad feeling about this. The only comfort came from knowing that Carlos and Logan had the company of each other so at least they wouldn't be alone in all this.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kendall said meaning every word. "And no, I haven't talked to Carlos lately."

To be perfectly honest with himself, that wasn't the answer James was hoping for. He was hoping that Kendall _had_ talked to Carlos recently. He was hoping that Logan was with Carlos and both of them were perfectly safe somewhere.

"Kendall?" James asked, keeping his gaze fixated on his own feet.

"Yeah, James?" Kendall asked, all hostility gone from his voice.

"I'm not just worried about Logan; I'm worried about Carlos too."

"Same here. I'm worried about both Carlos and Logan too."

XXXXX

Sylvia Garcia was an emotional wreck. Her trembling hands fumbled around with the already-used tissues clutched in her grasp. Her husband had just finished with the unenviable task of delivering the bad news; Carlos and Logan were missing.

"Missing? How could they be missing?" Mrs. Garcia choked out through sobs.

"I don't know. All I know is that they weren't there when the bus left the museum," Officer Garcia answered in an almost robotic voice.

"You don't think they were kidnapped, do you?"

Officer Garcia was between a rock and a hard place. The last thing he wanted to do was admit that someone may have kidnapped their son. However, all signs seemed to point to a kidnapping. In fact, Officer Garcia's superior, Commissioner Thomas, refused to let him work on the case due to him being too close to the apparent victims. Not being able to do anything while his son was missing killed Carlos Sr. inside.

"We'll find them," Officer Garcia said.

"How are we going to find them? We don't even know where they are!" Sylvia cried out hysterically.

Officer Garcia didn't have the heart to tell his wife that he couldn't lead the search himself. If his superior had anything to say about it, he wasn't supposed to do anything at all but sit around and wait while the safety of his son and his friend were in someone else's hands.

Sylvia was bewildered when her husband started checking his pockets and the counter in search of something that he had seemingly misplaced.

"Where did I put the car keys?" Officer Garcia asked.

"On the dresser in the bedroom," Sylvia replied automatically.

Officer Garcia scrambled up the stairs to the master bedroom before Sylvia had the chance to ask him why he needed his car keys all of a sudden. It wasn't long before Officer Garcia returned long enough to plant a chaste kiss on her forehead before heading for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Sylvia called out.

"To Logan's grandma's house. Maybe she's heard from Logan, and maybe she knows where Carlos is too," Officer Garcia answered.

XXXXX

Carlos and Logan were huddled on the floor together shivering violently. The good news was that Logan had stopped hyperventilating. The bad news was that Logan was so silent it was like he had fallen mute. Carlos almost wished that Logan was hyperventilating again because silent Logan seemed so much worse.

Logan's eyes were glued to the door. It was almost as if he was expecting it to open up any second now. Every now and then, Logan would let out a sob. This only made Carlos hold Logan even tighter.

Carlos was already starting to lose feeling in his toes and fingers, but he didn't want to say anything to Logan because he was already terrified enough as it was. Besides, it wasn't that big of a deal. They'd get out of here soon anyways; at least Carlos hoped so.

Logan may be little, but he knew all about hypothermia. He knew the signs and symptoms he had to keep an eye out for. Right now, he figured that he and Carlos were only suffering from mild hypothermia. They only seemed to be shivering.

"How you doin' buddy?" Carlos asked.

Logan shrugged his shoulders in response. This only made Carlos frown deeper.

"Hey," Carlos said, grasping Logan firmly by his shoulders. "Look at me."

Logan reluctantly lifted up his chin to look Carlos eye-to-eye.

"We're gonna get out of here," Carlos stated.

Logan was skeptical. He had already convinced himself that they were going to literally freeze to death in here. He wanted to believe that Carlos' dad or someone else would find them, but Logan was sure that no one even knew where they were, so how could they be found? Logan didn't even know where they were or who had taken them.

He was trying to take a mind over matter approach. No doubt it was cold in here, but Logan was attempting to convince himself that it was warmer than it really was. He imagined he was on a sunny beach in California. It wasn't really working though much to Logan's chagrin.

Carlos was sure that he would see Kendall again. He refused to believe otherwise. Logan would be reunited with James too. Maybe this would be what finally brought the four of them together. He didn't see why the four of them couldn't be friends.

XXXXX

Officer Garcia knew something was wrong when the front door was ajar. Immediately, he suspected foul play. He hoped he was overreacting though. He entered through the threshold and immediately spotted the crumpled heap on the bottom of the stairwell that was Logan's grandmother.

Carlos Sr. rushed over to her, kneeling down beside her broken form. What happened to Logan's grandma was beyond horrible. How could anyone do such a thing? Officer Garcia thought of Logan. How was he supposed to break the news to him? This made Logan an orphan now. A solitary tear trickled down Officer Garcia's cheek when he contemplated whether he'd ever see Logan again.

Officer Garcia felt paternal towards Logan. There was no denying that Carlos and Logan had become fast friends. Even Officer Garcia's wife was fond of Logan. Still though, hadn't Logan been through enough? He'd already endured more loss during his five short years than some people face in their lifetime.

Then Officer Garcia had a fleeting thought. He shook his head. It couldn't be, could it? There was no way! Could these two apparent isolated incidents be related? Could whoever murdered Logan's grandma also have taken Carlos and Logan hostage? Still though, what kind of a sick person would do such a thing?

"No," Officer Garcia said out loud.

As a police officer, Officer Garcia was very analytical. He would work out different scenarios in his head no matter how much or how little evidence he was presented with. Police officers were taught to follow their gut instincts for it rarely led them astray. His gut was telling him that Carlos and Logan getting kidnapped and Logan's grandma getting murdered _were _related. Not only that, but Logan's grandma _wasn't_ the target. Whoever killed her was more than likely looking for Logan; _Logan_ was the target.

However, that still begged the question; who was after Logan, and why? More than likely, Carlos was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. As weird as it sounded, Officer Garcia was kind of sort of glad that Carlos was with Logan when he got kidnapped. At least Logan wouldn't have to go through it alone. He knew that his son's optimism was just what Logan would need.

XXXXX

"Hey, Dustin, can you come down here for a sec," Dustin's foster mother said.

Dustin slowly meandered his way down the steps thinking that he could possibly be in trouble again. Being raised by a dad like he had will do that to you. Dustin now always thought that when he was called by an authority figure, it was because he had done something wrong. His foster parents were nice people; they were nothing like his father. Dustin knew deep down that he had no reason to be afraid of his foster parents; that didn't stop him from being hesitant though.

"Someone's here to see you," Dustin's foster mom announced.

Dustin ceased all movement when he saw who his 'visitor' was; it was his father. Dustin's tiny body immediately tensed up out of fear.

"How did you say you knew Dustin again?" Dustin's foster dad asked.

"Oh, well Dustin and I go way back, isn't that right, Dustin?" Dustin's dad asked, patting Dustin on the shoulder.

Dustin flinched from the contact. Sure his father was on his best behavior _right now_, but Dustin knew from experience that never lasted. His dad was a loose cannon. At any given moment, his dad could flip the switch.

"You mind if I speak with Dustin in private?" Dustin's dad questioned.

"Not at all," Dustin's foster mom replied.

A feeling of uneasiness welled up inside Dustin as he could do nothing but watch his foster parents leave him alone with his abusive, alcoholic father. Dustin wasn't sure how his dad found him, but he wasn't surprised that he was found.

Dustin had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that his father had something to do with Carlos and Logan being kidnapped. In his father's twisted mind, it was probably some way for his dad to get at him. Dustin didn't know what Carlos had to do with anything, but Logan was there when Dustin's father first was forced to go on the run.

When Dustin was sure his foster parents were out of earshot, he decided to confront his dear old dad about all of this. In the back of his mind though, he knew that he should probably just keep quiet. After all, talking back to his father never ended well for him.

"Where are Carlos and Logan?" Dustin whispered barely loud enough for his father to make out what he was saying.

"What makes you think I would know where they are? Why do you ask? Are they missing or something?" Dustin's father responded.

"I never said nothing about them being missing!"

"Well, you asked me where they were. I just assumed…"

Dustin knew better. He knew that he had just caught his father red-handed. Dustin's father knew this as well.

"What have you done to them? Where are they?" Dustin asked, his voice starting to rise in volume.

Dustin's father grabbed his son roughly by the wrist, and jerked the boy towards him. He leered over him with a steely gaze on his face.

"Here's how this is going to go down; you don't tell anyone that I was here or that you know who I am, and in return, no harm will come to Carlos and Logan. If I find out that you went to your foster parents or the cops, then there's no telling what might happen to Carlos and Logan. It would be a shame if you were to lose the only friend you've got," Dustin's dad said menacingly.

"Logie," Dustin said to no one in particular.

Just like that, Dustin's father was gone. Dustin was fighting back tears. He was just a little kid! He shouldn't be in the position he was in! Right now, he was the only one who knew that his father had Carlos and Logan. The problem was if he told anyone, there wouldn't be anyone for the police to find.

To Be Continued…


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

When the door to the freezer opened, it was the most miraculous sound in the world. In a matter of moments, he could feel the temperature in the room get much warmer. Words couldn't even express how he felt at that moment. Someone had found them! They were saved! Or so he thought.

"Hello, boys," Dustin's dad said, coming to a stop before the two shivering kids.

Carlos took up a protective stance in front of Logan. Some sort of noise came from Logan. It might have been a protest; Carlos wasn't too certain.

"Will you look at that? Isn't that adorable?" Dustin's father said in a mocking tone of voice.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?" Carlos demanded.

Unlike Logan, Carlos didn't really know who he was dealing with. He had never seen Dustin's father get angry. He had never been on the receiving end of his abuse. He had absolutely no idea what Dustin's dad was truly capable of.

"That's an easy one. I want the two of you to die. Slowly. Painfully," Dustin's dad answered.

Carlos and Logan both gulped nervously. They scooted away from Dustin's dad, which only caused the adult to smirk. There was an evil glint in his eyes that let the children know that he wasn't kidding around. He was serious; dead serious.

"We hafta split up," Logan said.

"No! I'm not leavin' you!" Carlos replied.

"None of you are going anywhere!" Dustin's father said, his voice booming.

Carlos and Logan broke into a full on sprint, their hands intertwined with one another. Carlos felt Logan's hand slip out of his. He was faced with a choice; keep on running, or go help his friend. That choice was an easy one for Carlos to make.

"Let him go!" Carlos shouted.

Dustin's dad had lifted Logan off the ground. He had lodged his forearm underneath Logan's chin, and was strangling a squirming Logan. Carlos was horrified when Logan's face started to turn blue. He wasn't sure if it was because of the temperature or because Dustin's dad was choking Logan.

"I said let him go!" Carlos yelled.

He ran over to Dustin's father, and even though he only came up to just above his knee, he started hammering Dustin's dad with his tiny fists. Logan was unmercifully flung to the ground before Carlos was backhand slapped across the face with such force that Carlos literally flew across the interior of the freezer. His head bounced off the floor, and Carlos lay still.

"Carlos!" Logan cried out, coughing.

XXXXX

Dustin was far too young to know what a loophole was, but that didn't stop him from finding one in his father's warning. He wasn't supposed to go to his foster parents or the cops. That was fine because he was going to see Kendall and James instead.

Dustin closed his bedroom door, locking it. He lodged his desk chair underneath the door knob for good measure. He then threw a bunch of stuffed animals underneath the covers to make it look like he was under there. He covered up his toys before walking over to the window and opening it up.

There was a tree just outside of his bedroom window. He used that to climb down. He had no choice but to leave the bedroom window open. He couldn't climb out of the window and shut it at the same time. Once he was on the tree, his short arms couldn't quite reach the window anyways.

Once Dustin had both feet safely on the ground, he thought of something. He had no idea where Kendall or James even lived. How was he supposed to know that? He hadn't been to either of their houses before!

XXXXX

"Hey James, your mom just called. She wanted to know if you're going to spend the night over here tonight," Mrs. Knight said, standing in the doorway to her son's bedroom.

"Sure," James replied at the same time Kendall said, "No."

James looked at Kendall who only shrugged his shoulders innocently. Sure they were both worried about Carlos and Logan, but that didn't change the fact that James and Kendall weren't exactly friends yet, a fact Kendall constantly reminded James of.

"I didn't invite you!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Well I'm here now!" James countered.

"It's getting late. You should go home! You know, _your _home, not mine!"

"Alright Kendall, that's enough!" Jennifer Knight scolded. She softened her tone of voice before continuing. "I think it's nice that you're starting to make friends other than Carlos."

Kendall pointed his finger in James' general direction despite what his mom taught him about not pointing his fingers at people.

"_That_ over there isn't my friend!" Kendall commented.

"I wish you were missing instead of Logan! You're so mean!" James remarked.

"Right back at ya!"

Both boys stuck their tongues out at one another before folding their arms over their chests and dramatically turning their heads away from each other.

XXXXX

Logan kneeled over Carlos' prone form. He grabbed two tiny fistfuls of Carlos' shirt, and was shaking him.

"Carlos! C'mon, buddy! Wake up!" Logan screamed, panicking.

He was so worried that Dustin's dad had killed Carlos. After all, Carlos wasn't moving. He couldn't even tell if Carlos was breathing or not. It might just be his own shivering that gave the appearance of Carlos' chest rising and falling. The last thing Logan wanted was to be left alone with Dustin's father.

Logan actually had been left alone with Carlos for a few minutes. However, Dustin's dad wasn't stupid. While he was gone, he made sure to lock the freezer door behind him. However, he was back now. He dragged some sort of barrel into the freezer with him.

Dustin's father stalked over to Logan. He lifted him up, draping him over his shoulder. Logan scratched, kicked, and bit Dustin's dad, but it was no use. Logan's eyes widened in fear when he saw what was in the barrel.

Dustin's dad grabbed the back of Logan's head and dunked his head in the slushy, ice cold water in the barrel. Logan squirmed and thrashed trying to surface, but Dustin's dad was far too strong.

With one forceful jerk, Logan's face was pulled out of the water. Logan coughed and sputtered. He was ten times as cold now as he was thirty seconds ago.

"No! Not again!" Logan begged before his head was held under the water one more time.

Over on the other side of the freezer, Carlos was starting to stir. He blinked his eyes, trying to ignore the bright spots that danced in front of him. He could've sworn he heard Logan's voice. He searched the freezer for Logan until he found him. Dustin's dad was trying to drown him.

Carlos' eyes frantically searched the freezer for anything he could possibly use as a weapon. He grabbed a frozen slab of meat off a nearby shelf.

"Whoa!" Carlos exclaimed when he nearly dropped it.

Carlos staggered his way over to Dustin's dad, trying to keep as quiet as possible. He hoisted the slab of meat high above his head before crashing it into the back of Dustin's father's knee, causing it to buckle, and causing his hold on Logan to be relinquished.

Logan coughed and gasped for air as he fell to the floor. Carlos grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet, and the two of them tried yet again to get away.

XXXXX

Officer Garcia was heading back to his house when he thought he recognized a kid walking down the street. He slowed his patrol car down, and pulled up alongside the boy, who upon a closer look, was Dustin.

"Need a lift?" Officer Garcia asked after he rolled down his window.

Dustin nodded his head, and climbed in the passenger seat. His body tensed up. Carlos' father was a cop. Dustin's own father warned him what would happen if he went to a cop for help.

"What are you doing out so late?" Carlos' dad asked.

"Can you take me to Kendall's?" Dustin questioned.

Officer Garcia was thoroughly surprised Dustin just asked to go to Kendall's. The last he heard, Kendall and Dustin weren't friends. In fact, the only friend Dustin seemed to have was Logan. Slowly but surely, Officer Garcia was starting to piece together what he thought was going on with Dustin.

"You know something, don't you? Where is he? Who took him? Did they take Carlos too?" Officer Garcia inquired, firing off one question after another.

Dustin fell silent. Officer Garcia was mentally kicking himself for bombarding Dustin like that without even giving him time to answer first.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Officer Garcia said.

"No, I can't," Dustin responded barely loud enough for Officer Garcia to hear.

However, he _did_ hear what Dustin said, and that only increased his worry tenfold. A part of Officer Garcia wanted to do nothing but grab Dustin and shake the truth out of him. He had so many questions, and Dustin might not know the answers to all of them, but there was no mistake that he knew the answers to at least some of them.

"You want to help Logan, don't you?" Officer Garcia asked.

Dustin nodded his head.

"Then tell me what you know," Officer Garcia said.

Carlos' dad didn't get it. If he told him what he knew, it wouldn't help Logan. Not according to his father at least. In fact, it would do the exact opposite of helping Logan. Dustin couldn't take that chance.

XXXXX

Carlos and Logan were running away from Dustin's father like their lives depended on it because it very well could. They were disheartened by the fact that as soon as they left the freezer they weren't outside. They were in the basement somewhere. Carlos and Logan were scrambling up some stairs as fast as their little legs could carry them when Logan tripped on his shoelace.

"Ouch!" Logan cried out as he threw his forearms out in front of him to break his fall only to scrape his elbows.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked, as he helped Logan to his feet.

Logan let out a scream of alarm when something grabbed him around the ankle and started pulling him back down the stairs.

"Logan!" Carlos shouted.

Carlos grabbed a hold of Logan's hand before he disappeared from sight, and he was tugging with all his might.

"You two are starting to become more trouble than you're worth," Dustin's dad commented.

"Carlos, forget about me. Just go! Find the others!" Logan instructed.

"No! He'll kill you!" Carlos yelled back, tears streaming from his eyes.

Carlos could feel Logan start to slip away. Whereas before, he could feel Logan's palm in his, now Carlos only had a hold of Logan's fingers.

"Hold on, Logie! Don't let go!" Carlos shouted.

Logan let out a whimper as the hold around his ankle was starting to tighten. It was almost like Dustin's dad was trying to crush it with his very hands. With his free leg, Logan was kicking like crazy. He landed a solid kick right to Dustin's father's jaw. For the briefest of moments, Logan was free.

"Hurry!" Carlos urged as the two of them resumed their climb up the stairs, more desperate than ever.

The boys' hearts were racing. Never before had their hearts pounded so violently in their chests.

It was with a heavy heart that Carlos started to realize that Logan was slowing him down. He couldn't put any weight on his ankle. He was literally limping as fast as he could, but he still couldn't keep up with Carlos.

"Carlos, just go!" Logan cried out, wanting nothing more than for his friend to finally be safe.

Carlos didn't know what to do either. He wanted to be safe too, but he also wanted Logan to be safe. The only problem was that if they stayed together, they would surely be caught. If Carlos left Logan behind, surely he could escape.

"Carlos, what are you doing?" Logan screamed when he saw Carlos start to go back to the basement.

Dustin's father couldn't put any weight on his injured leg either. He was literally slithering up the stairs like a serpent. He could no longer hear the shuffling of feet so that had to mean one of two things; either the kids had gotten away or something had caused them to stop running. Dustin's dad so hoped it was the latter.

Carlos had his back pressed flat against the wall. He had a hold of the door leading down to the basement. As soon as Carlos saw Dustin's father's head peek out of the doorway, Carlos slammed the door into his face. The impact sent Dustin's dad tumbling back down the stairwell. Carlos rushed over to Logan, helped him to his feet, and wrapped both arms securely around his waist. Logan leaned heavily on Carlos for support.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Carlos said.

XXXXX

Apparently, tonight was the night for company. Mrs. Knight was amazed by how many people were dropping by to see Kendall tonight. Officer Garcia just brought Dustin over, who couldn't get away from the cop fast enough.

It didn't take Dustin long to find Kendall's bedroom. Kendall and James were both in there glaring daggers at one another. Dustin walked in, closing the door behind him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Kendall and James asked Dustin in stereo.

"My dad has Carlos and Logan," Dustin blurted out, relieved to have told someone at long last.

To Be Continued…


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: You guessed it. I still own zero, zip, zilch, nada.**

**In the Beginning**

Dustin just finished telling Kendall and James all that he knew. Dustin felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders now that he had finally told someone. Kendall and James had horrified looks on their faces once Dustin had finished.

"What are we waitin' for? We hafta find them!" James exclaimed.

"Dustin, do you have any idea where your dad might take them?" Kendall asked.

Dustin shook his head in disbelief; not only were Kendall and James talking to him, but they actually didn't seem to mind that they were talking to him. It was rather refreshing to Dustin. They needed _his_ help.

"No," Dustin replied knowing full well that wasn't the answer the other two boys had been hoping for.

"This doesn't make any sense! What does your daddy want with Carlos and Logan?" James remarked.

Dustin had an idea of what his dad wanted with Logan, but he still had no clue what his dad wanted with Carlos. He was reluctant to tell Kendall and James that his father having Logan was a bad thing.

"I don't know, okay?" Dustin snapped.

"Why did you even come here?" Kendall asked, his lack of trust towards Dustin starting to rear its ugly head again.

"I didn't know where else to go."

"How 'bout an adult? Duh! Carlos' daddy brought you, right? Let's go tell him! He'll help us!" James commented.

Dustin darted in front of the doorway, arms spread, preventing James from leaving the room.

"No! You can't!" Dustin cried out.

"Why not?" Kendall asked, walking over so he was standing beside James.

"He's a cop!"

"Yeah! That's kinda the point!" James remarked.

Kendall and James traded puzzled expressions with one another. It was rather amazing how well they were actually sort of getting along right now, especially considering how the two of them had just been fighting before Dustin arrived.

"We can't go to the cops!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Why not?" Kendall replied.

"Yeah! Why not?" James asked.

Dustin sighed. There seemed to be no way around it. He had to tell Kendall and James about his father's threat; he had to tell Kendall and James that Logan, and Carlos too for that matter, were in very real danger.

XXXXX

"Is he…dead?" Carlos asked, looking down the stairwell at where Dustin's father's prone form should be.

"I don't think I wanna know," Logan responded, hiding behind Carlos.

Dustin's dad wasn't moving, but for all either boy knew, he could still be very much alive. The stairwell leading down to the basement had lights, but the bulbs had burned out, so it was too dark for them to even see Dustin's dad.

"I'm gonna go check," Carlos said.

"Are you crazy?" Logan remarked.

"We hafta know for sure!"

"No we don't! Hey, I thought we were leaving? What ever happened to that?"

As Carlos started to creep down the staircase, Logan went into full on panic mode. He grabbed Carlos' hand, dug his feet in the ground as best he could given his injured ankle, and tugged with all his might.

"I'm not gonna let you get yourself hurt!" Logan exclaimed.

"I'll be fine, Logie! 'Sides he's probably dead anyways!" Carlos replied.

"Great! Then if he's dead, there's no need for you to check, so let's just go already!"

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat!"

"Hey! I'm not a scaredy-cat!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"I'm not doin' this with you!"

With Logan in tow, Carlos slowly but surely made it to the bottom of the stairwell. He thought for sure he would feel Dustin's dad's body at the bottom of the stairwell, but Carlos felt nothing at all. He gulped nervously.

"Uh…Logie?" Carlos said, his voice wavering.

"Yeah, Carlos?" Logan replied.

"Where's Dustin's daddy? He should be here."

XXXXX

"So let me get this straight; if you go to your foster parents or the cops, your daddy said he'll hurt Carlos and Logan?" Kendall asked for clarification.

Dustin merely nodded his head. Somehow it seemed less bad that way.

"How do we know that if you don't go to the cops or your foster parents your daddy won't hurt Carlos and Logan anyways?" Kendall inquired.

"We don't," Dustin said, forced to answer verbally.

James threw his hands in the air out of frustration.

"Oh my gosh! Are we gonna sit around talkin' all night or are we gonna actually do something 'bout it?" James said angrily.

"What can we do, James? We don't even know where Carlos and Logan are! Even if we did, how are we gonna get there? I just told you we can't go to the cops or my foster parents!" Dustin replied.

A light bulb went off in Kendall's head. He turned to face Dustin.

"Your daddy never said nothing about going to _my_ mom for help though," Kendall chimed in.

James snickered.

"Your mom? A girl? What is she gonna do?" he remarked.

"You've never seen my mommy angry before, have you?" Kendall asked James.

"No."

"Exactly!"

XXXXX

Carlos groped around until he finally found a light switch in the basement. He turned it on, and the two boys almost had to squint because their eyes were so accustomed to the darkness. Both boys anxiously scanned the basement for any sign of their captor.

"He's not here, Carlos. Can we go now?" Logan asked.

"Where could he be?" Carlos said more to himself than to Logan.

"Who cares?"

Logan rolled his eyes and groaned when Carlos started to roam around the basement some more.

"He has to be around here somewhere," Carlos commented.

Carlos saw that the door to the walk-in freezer was ajar. That was the only place in the basement he _hadn't_ checked yet.

"I bet he's in there," Carlos said, pointing to the freezer.

"Good. Then he can stay in there," Logan stated.

Before Carlos could do anything else, Logan made his way to the freezer door and started to shut it. If Dustin's dad _was_ in there, then he could stay in there and freeze to death for all Logan cared. It would serve him right. He would get a taste of his own medicine.

Just as the door started to close, a hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of Logan's shirt, causing both boys to jump. Logan could feel himself inching towards the freezer. He feebly tried to pry the hand off his shirt.

"Carlos!" Logan screamed.

"Let go of him!" Carlos yelled.

He frantically tried to shut the door on Dustin's father's arm, smashing it in the process, but that feat became even more difficult when Dustin's father was leaning against the inside of the door with all his body weight.

As the seconds ticked by and Dustin's dad still wasn't letting go, Logan became more and more desperate. He was raking his fingernails across Dustin's father's hand. He was kicking and biting. He was doing anything he could to stop himself from being dragged back into the freezer.

With one big heave, the door swung open, colliding into Carlos. He dropped where he stood in one crumpled heap becoming a veritable doorstop. Logan too fell to the floor though he was more fortunate than Carlos was; he didn't get smacked with the door.

Dustin's father emerged from the freezer. He loomed over Logan who promptly scooted away from him.

"What are you gonna do to me?" Logan asked.

Dustin's dad laughed menacingly.

"Whoever said anything about _you_?" he remarked.

Logan realized too little too late exactly what was meant by that. Dustin's father had already lifted Carlos off the floor only to deposit him in the freezer, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What are you doin? He's gonna freeze in there!" Logan cried out, his eyes welling up in tears.

"See now. You say that like I'm actually supposed to care," Dustin's dad responded.

Logan scrambled to his feet and made a beeline for the door. He was intercepted by Dustin's dad though who shoved him back down to the floor. Logan rose to his feet and tried again only to produce the same result.

"Don't!" Dustin's dad scolded.

As Logan went to try a third time, he froze in his tracks. Dustin's dad just reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. The light glinted off it. Logan's eyes widened in fear. It was a pocket knife.

"I said don't!" Dustin's father said emphatically.

XXXXX

"Are you sure?" Jennifer Knight asked.

"Absolutely. Dustin knows something; something he's not telling me. Think about it, Jennifer. He came _here_ of all places. No offense. You and I both know Dustin and your son can't stand each other," Officer Garcia said.

Mrs. Knight had to admit that Carlos Garcia Sr. had a point. Now that she thought about it, it was rather strange Dustin showing up on her doorstep like he did.

"What should we do?" she inquired.

"My gut tells me Dustin won't talk to me because I'm a cop, but if _you_ were to talk to him…" Officer Garcia trailed off.

It was at that moment that Kendall, James, and Dustin came racing down the stairs.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Kendall said at the same time James and Dustin said, "Mrs. Knight! Mrs. Knight! Mrs. Knight!"

As soon as Dustin saw that Carlos' dad was in the living room as well, he fell silent and stared at the carpeted floor. He elbowed Kendall and James in the ribs a bit harder than was probably necessary, but it got their attention. Dustin then as subtly as possible gestured with his head over towards Officer Garcia.

"Oh," Kendall said. "Hey Mommy, can we talk to you…alone?"

The two adults exchanged a knowing look with one another. No words needed to be spoken. It was clear now that whatever Dustin knew, Kendall and James knew now too.

"By all means. I'll just step outside for a bit," Officer Garcia said.

Once the children were sure Carlos' dad had stepped out, they started explaining the situation to Mrs. Knight, talking a mile a minute.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down! One at a time!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"My daddy has Carlos and Logan!" Dustin blurted out.

That was the last thing Mrs. Knight expected Dustin to say, but it would certainly explain why Dustin was over here.

"We should tell Carlos' dad," Mrs. Knight said.

Just as she started heading for the front door, Kendall, James, and Dustin all shouted, "No! You can't!"

Kendall's mom arched her eyebrows in confusion.

"If you do that, Dustin's daddy will hurt Carlos and Logan!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Well we can't do nothing!" Mrs. Knight said.

"That's what I keep sayin!" James muttered under his breath.

Mrs. Knight was almost at a loss for words. She always knew that Dustin's father was a shady individual. After all, in a small town like they live in, everybody knows everybody. Jennifer just never had any idea Dustin's dad was such a despicable human being.

"Come on, kids! Get in the car! We're going for a ride!" Mrs. Knight said, snatching the car keys off the counter.

"But Mommy, we don't even know where they are!" Kendall commented.

"Sitting at home isn't going to bring them home safely, Kendall!"

Officer Garcia was perplexed when Jennifer Knight and the three kids climbed into her car, and she pulled out of the driveway without so much as a word to him. He climbed in his patrol car and decided to trail them.

XXXXX

"What do you want from me?" Logan said, trying but failing to sound unafraid.

"What do I want from you?" Dustin's father repeated before chuckling softly to himself.

He slowly walked over to Logan. He walked circles around him, making sure to keep his brandished weapon in plain sight. He then placed the flat side of the blade against Logan's cheek, causing Logan to shudder at how cold it was. Dustin's father then caressed the boy's cheek with the flat side of the pocket knife being careful not to penetrate the skin.

Logan held his breath as best he could. His heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. His pulse was racing. He tried in vain to calm his frayed nerves. He was afraid he was shaking so much that he might accidentally cause himself to get nicked by the knife.

"What I want from you is to call my son. I want you to deliver a message for me," Dustin's dad answered.

"A message," Logan repeated. "If I do…will you…will you let Carlos out of the freezer?"

Dustin's father's immediate response was to let the little brat know that he was in no position to be making demands. However, he somehow managed to maintain his composure.

"Of course! Of course!" Dustin's father said, crossing his heart with the index finger of his free hand.

Dustin's father then pulled out a disposable phone, and held it out to Logan. The boy looked back and forth from the phone to Dustin's father time and time again. He clearly didn't trust Dustin's dad, but what choice did he have? Logan took the phone from Dustin's dad.

"What's the message?" Logan asked.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: There's a new-ish poll on my profile page asking what your favorite story from my Green-Eyed Monster story arc was. So, you know, vote if you haven't already. I'm interested to hear what everyone thinks.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Honestly, I was rather proud of myself for the way the last chapter of this and the last couple of chapters of "Big Time Sick" turned out. I truly believe it was some of my best work yet. No matter what I say in my author's notes, I'm always at least a little proud of what I write or else I wouldn't even bother submitting it. **

**Disclaimer: I totally own Big Time Rush. He's being sarcastic. Yes he is. If you get the reference, then kudos to you! **

**In the Beginning**

"I want you to tell my boy that he either comes and lives with me again, or bad things will happen to his best friend; that's you, by the way," Dustin's father said.

Logan swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

"You never said nothing about Carlos though. Does that mean you won't hurt him?" Logan asked hopefully.

Dustin's dad laughed sinisterly.

"I didn't mention Carlos because Dustin doesn't care what happens to Carlos. You on the other hand," he said, stroking the flat side of the pocket knife against both of Logan's cheeks.

Logan started bawling. He was trembling so bad that his face got nicked several times by the pocket knife. They were only flesh wounds, nothing life threatening, but they still stung, and they only served to make Logan shake even harder.

"Why are you doing this?" Logan asked, sniffling.

"Why? Why!" Dustin's father's voice boomed. "Because if it wasn't for _you _and _his_ father, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!"

Logan shuddered when he felt blood trickle down the sides of his face. He didn't want to see his reflection in the mirror anymore; his face was hideously scarred, and this only made things worse.

"Now dial the number I told you already!" Dustin's dad ordered.

Logan fumbled with the disposable phone in his hands. Much like the rest of him, his hands were shaking severely. Dustin's dad pressing the knife against his face wasn't helping matters any either.

Logan held his breath as the phone rang once. There was no response. It rang a second time. Still no response. Now Logan was starting to panic. What if no one answered? Dustin's father wouldn't be very happy with him. That's for sure.

"Hello?" Dustin's foster mom said upon answering the phone.

"Hi. Is Dustin there?" Logan replied.

"Yeah. Hold on. I'll go get him."

Dustin's foster mom set the phone on the counter as she headed upstairs to her foster son's bedroom. As she went to turn the door knob, she quickly found that it had been locked from the inside. She rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Dustin, sweetie, will you come open this door?" Dustin's foster mother asked.

She pressed her ear against the door and strained her ears, but she couldn't hear even the slightest movement from inside the bedroom. She checked the watch on her wrist and was puzzled. It wasn't quite his bedtime yet. The fact that the door was locked also troubled her, so she went to fetch her husband.

"What's wrong, honey?" Dustin's foster dad asked upon seeing the concern on his wife's face.

"Dustin's door is locked, and he's not answering," she answered.

The two of them returned to Dustin's bedroom. Dustin's foster dad tried his turn at knocking. However, the end result was much the same.

"Dustin, what have we told you about locking your door? Now open up!" Dustin's foster father said, raising his voice.

There still was no response.

"Alright, stand back. I'm going to bust the door down," Dustin's foster dad said to his wife.

He rammed his shoulder into the door, effectively knocking it down. The first thing Dustin's foster mom noticed was the form underneath the covers.

"Oh, well that explains it. He's sleeping," she said.

Dustin's foster dad spotted the open bedroom window though. Having been raised in the foster system himself as a child, he knew all about being bounced from home to home. He also had run away on multiple occasions himself as a child, so that was the first thing he looked for; an escape route.

"Uh, honey? I don't think he's sleeping," Dustin's foster dad said before peeling back the covers.

Dustin's foster mom gasped in horror upon seeing the stuffed animals where her foster son _should_ be. Her husband nudged her arm, and pointed to the open bedroom window. Dustin's foster mom had reached an entirely different conclusion than her husband though; she believed that Dustin had been kidnapped while her husband suspected that he had ran away.

Finally, Logan heard someone's voice on the other end again.

"I'm sorry, but Dustin's not here right now," she said.

"Whaddya mean he's not there? Where else could he be?" Logan replied.

"Goodnight."

Dustin's mom hung up on Logan. Dustin's father had his arms folded across his chest. The good news was that he no longer had the blade against Logan's face though. However, he was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Well?" he said expectantly.

"I wasn't able to talk to Dustin," Logan said glumly.

"Then I guess Carlos stays in the freezer."

"No! Please let him out!"

"That wasn't the deal!"

"It's not my fault Dustin wasn't there!"

Dustin's father froze in his tracks.

"Actually it is. I don't believe it. He's trying to find you. I guess I shouldn't sound so surprised. You're all he has," Dustin's dad said.

Logan had mixed emotions about the news that Dustin was trying to find him. It shouldn't really be considered news in the first place. Logan thought Dustin would try to find him after all. He wanted Dustin to find him, but he knew that in order to do that, he would have to come face-to-face with his father. Logan wasn't so sure he _wanted_ Dustin to see his father. He was afraid of what Dustin's father might do to Dustin.

XXXXX

Carlos was huddled in a corner with his arms wrapped around himself, shivering. He could see each and every exhale of breath. He had long since given up trying to hear anything that was happening on the other side of the door; the door was metal and far too thick.

Carlos' stomach growled, and his throat was parched. He and Logan hadn't had anything to eat or drink ever since they had been kidnapped. Carlos wasn't sure what was worse; the pains in his sides from being so hungry, the burning sensation in his throat from being so thirsty, or the biting cold temperature of the freezer.

He took some comfort in the fact that at least Logan wasn't freezing in here with him. At least he was nice and warm. Carlos would give anything to be nice and warm too. He longed to see Logan again. He wondered if he was okay. He was afraid of what Dustin's father might be doing to Logan.

"I-I'm s-so c-cold," Carlos stuttered.

Carlos thought of Kendall, his mommy, his daddy, even James. Would he ever see them again? Would they ever find him? Or would they be too late? Carlos hated thinking that way but being all alone trapped in a freezer will do that to you. Tears streamed down Carlos' face crystallizing before they could even drip off his face.

His teeth chattered. It was the only sound he could hear.

"P-please l-let m-me out! I'll b-be g-good!" Carlos cried out, not knowing if anyone could even hear him.

Carlos was full of regret. If only he had listened to Logan, he wouldn't be stuck in a freezer all by himself right now. Logan told him they should just escape while they had the chance, but like an idiot, Carlos had to go make sure Dustin's dad was dead. As it turned out, Dustin's dad wasn't dead; he wasn't dead at all.

Carlos made a promise to himself that if he were to ever get out of here alive, he would listen to what Logan said the next time and every time thereafter.

"If I ever g-get out of h-here," Carlos said to himself, a violent shiver coursing through his small frame.

XXXXX

Mrs. Knight had nearly driven everywhere in their small town. The only place she hadn't been to yet was the butcher's house. He was rarely ever home though. Most of the time, he would be away for months at a time. As she pulled up to his house, she noticed a light blue van parked in the driveway.

"That's odd. He doesn't drive a light blue van," Mrs. Knight said to herself more than to the kids in the vehicle with her.

She knew for a fact that he drove a black pickup truck. The only explanation she could come up with was that he got a new vehicle. Call it whatever you want, a gut instinct, mother's intuition, but Jennifer Knight had a feeling that something was amiss. She parked the car.

"Now I want the three of you to stay in here. Do you understand me? It could be dangerous in there, and I don't want any of you getting hurt," she said.

"But Mommy, what if Carlos and Logan are in there? I wanna see them!" Kendall whined.

"Yeah! Why can't we go with you?" James commented.

"I wanna go in too!" Dustin exclaimed.

"No!" Mrs. Knight yelled. "You can see Carlos and Logan once I get them out of there. Until then, you wait here. Do I make myself clear?"

All three boys nodded their heads in understanding. James was starting to see what Kendall was talking about when he said that James had never seen his mom angry. James nearly peed his pants. Kendall's mom could be pretty scary.

Mrs. Knight got out of the car, shutting the driver's side door behind her. She walked up to the front door. Much to her surprise, the door was unlocked. If Dustin's dad really had Carlos and Logan here, you'd think he would at least lock the door.

Officer Garcia was perplexed by what Jennifer Knight was doing at the butcher's house. He saw the light blue van in the driveway. He wasn't sure whose vehicle that was. It wasn't the butcher's. It also wasn't Dustin's father's. Of course, there was still the very real possibility that Dustin's father stole a car.

Carlos Garcia Sr. knew that Mrs. Knight was no pushover, but that still didn't the fact that she had no formal training. They had every reason to believe that Dustin's father was armed and dangerous. He wondered if Jennifer knew what she was getting herself into.

"I'm sorry, Jennifer. I know you didn't want me involved, but I'm not going to let you get yourself killed," he said out loud, removing his gun from its holster and stepping out of the patrol car.

XXXXX

Dustin's father could've sworn he heard the slamming of not one, but two car doors. He quickly snatched Logan by the wrist.

"Ow! You're hurting me!" Logan wailed.

"You wanna see Carlos, do you?" Dustin's father asked.

"Yes. Why?"

The next thing Logan knew, Dustin's father had opened the door to the freezer long enough for him to shove Logan inside before closing it once again.

"Carlos, where are you?" Logan called out.

When Carlos didn't answer, Logan started to really get worried. He limped around the freezer, trying not to put too much weight on his injured ankle. His eyes frantically scanned the room for his friend. At long last, he spotted him huddled in a corner.

"Carlos!" Logan shouted, limping over to him as fast as he could.

Carlos had his arms wrapped around himself. He was shaking really bad. His eyes were open, which Logan took as a good sign. However, his lips, ears, and fingers had a bluish tinge to them that troubled Logan.

Logan drew Carlos into an embrace. Logan took his hands and was rubbing up and down Carlos' arms, trying to warm him up. Carlos' eyes grew wide with panic. He placed the palms of his hands against Logan, and shoved him backwards.

"W-who are y-you?" Carlos asked.

"It's me! Logan! We're friends! Remember?" Logan replied, desperately hoping for Carlos to remember.

"I d-don't know a L-logan."

At that moment, Logan felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. His eyes glistened with tears as he looked dumbfounded at Carlos.

"W-where's K-kendall?" Carlos stammered.

Logan's heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. Carlos wanted someone to help him; just not Logan. He didn't know a Logan. Even though Carlos was right there in front of him, Logan couldn't help but feel like he had lost Carlos. Logan clenched his hand into a fist. Carlos might not remember who he is, but Logan wasn't about to give up on him.

XXXXX

Mrs. Knight grabbed the first weapon she could find; a two by four plank of wood. She brandished it as she cautiously crept into the bowels of the house. The floor creaked beneath her feet. Her eyes darted around wildly, not knowing what might be lurking just around the corner.

A part of her wanted to call out to Carlos and Logan, but at the same time, she didn't want to give away her location. That could be a mistake; a _fatal_ mistake. One that Mrs. Knight couldn't afford to make.

Mrs. Knight had made her way into the kitchen. From the way things looked, it looked like nobody had lived in this house in quite some time. There were cobwebs all over the place. There wasn't a surface in the home that wasn't caked with dust. The refrigerator was bare as was the freezer. Of course, Mrs. Knight had no idea that there was a walk-in freezer in the basement. She knew there had to be one somewhere. After all, this _was_ the butcher's house. She just hadn't been there yet, and she had no reason to check inside the walk-in freezer either.

When Mrs. Knight heard the creaking of floor boards, she knew that she wasn't alone in the house. Her automatic reaction was that the other set of footsteps belonged to Dustin's father. She tightened her grip on the two by four.

Officer Garcia walked into the kitchen only to find it empty. The next thing he knew, something had slammed into his back, and everything went black.

"Officer Garcia?" Mrs. Knight said in disbelief holding what remained of the smashed wooden plank.

"Officer Garcia," Dustin's father said to himself. "I thought I told you not to tell the cops, Dustin. Well, since you didn't hold up your end of the bargain, I guess there's no reason for me to hold up my end of the bargain."

Dustin's dad tiptoed his way down to the basement.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but BTR's newest single, "Music Sounds Better With U" was released on iTunes today. Of course, I have to plug it. That's just how I roll. Lol. I've had it on repeat ever since it finished downloading. For now, it's my favorite BTR song, but I'm almost always changing my mind about that. Hehe. **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I don't know how many of you have heard me sing on YouTube under the same profile name, but I've been thinking of uploading some videos of me singing some more BTR covers. What do you all think? Should I?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**In the Beginning**

Mrs. Knight's body tensed up when she could've sworn she heard someone else in the house with her and Officer Garcia. With shaking hands, she removed Officer Garcia's 9 millimeter from its holster. She made sure it was cocked and loaded before heading off in the direction of the noise.

Whoever it was must have went down to the basement because the door leading down there was left open. Even though she had a bad feeling about this, she just had to remind herself that Carlos and Logan's lives were in danger, and she felt a surge of courage.

Every step she took, she took with bated breath. The steps were creaky. If anyone else _was_ here, the creaking steps would certainly alert them to her presence. That's also how she was fairly sure someone else was here with her.

She expected the basement to be shrouded in pitch black darkness, but to her pleasant surprise, it wasn't; there was actually a light on. There was a certain musty smell that lingered in the air. There were cobwebs everywhere, and it was so dusty that Mrs. Knight had to hold her sneezes back.

A hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams. Mrs. Knight reached up with both of her hands, got a hold of her attacker's arm, and flipped him over his head and onto his back, knocking the wind off him. However, in order to grab his arm, she had to drop her gun. When she dropped her gun, it accidentally fired when it hit the floor.

XXXXX

"That sounded like a gunshot!" Kendall commented, worried.

Kendall was already climbing out of the vehicle.

"Hey! Where are you going?" James asked.

"My mommy's in there! What if she's hurt? I gotta make sure she's okay!" Kendall said with conviction.

Dustin and James traded a conflicted look with one another.

"But your mommy said to stay here," Dustin pointed out.

"Do you always do what you're told?" Kendall asked.

Kendall left Dustin to ponder that as he was already sprinting towards the front door, his dirty blonde bangs flopping up and down in the wind.

Dustin ran a hand through his brunette hair that was stiff from a ton of hair spray, combed over, and parted down the middle. Who was he kidding? He was no angel. Besides, Kendall's mommy couldn't tell him what to do! She wasn't even _his_ mommy! Dustin climbed out of the vehicle as well.

"You two are crazy! You're gonna get yourselves killed!" James shouted.

Once Kendall and Dustin entered the house, James fumbled with the door handle.

"Hey! Wait for me!" James hollered.

XXXXX

"Carlos…" Logan said.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Carlos demanded, looking at Logan uneasily.

"We're friends. I've been staying with you and your mommy and daddy. Remember?"

"Stop it! You're lying!"

Logan felt like he was playing hockey and he just got checked into the boards. Whether consciously or subconsciously, Logan placed a hand over his heart as though that would stop it from aching.

"You're just confused. You've been in this cold for so long," Logan reasoned.

"Shut up!" Carlos screamed, running towards Logan, fists raised.

Logan managed to duck under a punch at the last minute.

"I'm not gonna fight you, Carlos," Logan said.

Logan narrowly avoided a flurry of punches. He didn't understand why Carlos was attacking him. Even if Carlos had truly forgotten who Logan was, why was he trying to hurt him?

"C'mon! Fight me!" Carlos yelled.

"No! I won't!" Logan responded.

Logan didn't even have time to try to figure things out. He had to put all of his concentration into evading Carlos' attacks. If he dared even think about anything else, Carlos' blows would connect.

"Carlos, please stop!" Logan begged.

XXXXX

Mrs. Knight clutched her left shoulder. The bullet had embedded itself deep in her shoulder. Blood seeped through her fingers, splattering the floor beneath her in blotches. Mrs. Knight gritted her teeth together in an attempt to not think about how her shoulder felt like it was on fire. She tried to ignore the fact that she couldn't even move her left arm.

Dustin's dad has snatched up the loose gun, and had it aimed at Mrs. Knight. Before he could fire off a shot, he found himself tackled to the ground. Officer Garcia had launched himself through the air at Dustin's father.

Carlos Garcia Sr. sat on top of Dustin's dad's chest. He was raining down rights and lefts to Dustin's dad's head. Like a rubber band, Dustin's father's head snapped back to its starting position after every strike.

"Where are they? What have you done with them?" Officer Garcia shouted.

"What makes you think they're here?" Dustin's dad said, smirking.

As Officer Garcia was entertaining the possibility that Carlos and Logan might not be here, Dustin's father decided to use his distraction to his advantage. He head butted Officer Garcia in the face, sending him reeling. He shoved the policeman off him, and grabbed the loose gun once again.

It was uncanny how much Dustin looked like his father. They wore their hair the exact same way. Both of them were brunettes. Their skin tones were similar. For their age, they both would be considered tall.

"Mommy!" Kendall cried out upon seeing that his mother was shot.

"Kendall! I told you to stay in the car!" Mrs. Knight scolded.

"You're hurt!"

"I'll be fine, sweetie."

There were two pairs of footsteps behind Kendall. The two adults looked past Kendall to see Dustin and James.

"Daddy, why are you doing this?" Dustin asked, eyes welling up with tears.

"We had a deal, son. You went back on our deal. You called the cops," Dustin's dad said.

"No! I didn't!"

"He didn't call me! I followed them here!" Officer Garcia exclaimed.

Dustin's father started walking backwards, not taking his eyes off the other five in the room even for a second. He grabbed the door to the freezer with the hand that wasn't holding the gun.

"No one comes in here. If anyone does, I'll start shooting. If I see the door so much as open, I start shooting," Dustin's dad said, before slipping into the freezer, quickly shutting the door afterwards.

XXXXX

The freezer door opening got Logan's attention, and Carlos landed a punch square on Logan's jaw, flooring him.

Dustin's father was delighted by this turn of events. Never in his wildest dreams could he imagine something so breathtakingly wonderful. Here he wanted to eliminate both of the runts, but as it turned out, one of them might take the other out all on his own.

However, he was a strong believer in saving the best for last, and to him, there would be nothing sweeter than doing Logan in last. Besides, Dustin's father hadn't forgotten how Carlos had slammed a door in his face and buckled his knee with a frozen slab of meat. Revenge is sweet, and he was about to get a piping hot plate of revenge.

He pointed the gun at Carlos.

"Carlos! Look out!" Logan shouted, tackling Carlos to the ground.

"What's your problem?" Carlos hollered.

The weirdest thing happened. Carlos suddenly felt warm for the first time in a long time. He looked down and saw that he was getting drenched with blood; only it wasn't _his_ blood; it was _Logan's_.

"You saved me," Carlos said to Logan in amazement.

Carlos was confused. He didn't even remember this…Logan…was it? So why would he risk his life in order to save him? Especially when Carlos had just decked him in the jaw. A part of Carlos was telling him that was because he and Logan knew each other. It couldn't be, could it? Were he and Logan friends like Logan had been saying all along?

"Hey, wake up," Carlos said, shaking Logan's limp form in his arms. "You're gonna be all right, okay?"

Logan was losing a lot of blood really fast. His skin had already paled drastically, almost taking on a grayish tinge. His brown hair was in disarray and was as still as its owner. His brown eyes were glazed over. Logan let out gurgled gasps, blood streaming out of his mouth.

"Car…los…" Logan wheezed.

"Shh! Don't speak," Carlos replied, holding both of Logan's small hands in his.

"Do…you…remember…me?"

Carlos' tiny body was rocked by sobs. Tears poured down his face in droves.

"I do, Logan. I do," Carlos answered, his voice cracking.

Logan smiled, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

"No! Don't fall asleep! You gotta hang in there, okay?" Carlos screamed.

Dustin's father stalked his way over to his prey, a malicious smile spanned his face. He had fully intended on saving Logan for last, but really, what did it matter? Both of them were going to die anyhow, so did it really matter in what order they died?

"Now isn't this just precious?" Dustin's dad remarked sarcastically.

"You monster!" Carlos yelled.

Dustin's father tilted his head back and laughed evilly.

"Aww, is someone upset?" Dustin's dad said in a baby voice.

Carlos gently set Logan down on the floor. He rose to his feet, and balled his tiny hands into fists. A look of fierce determination took residence on Carlos' face.

"What are you going to do about it, _runt_?" Dustin's father asked.

Dustin's dad had been paying so much attention to Carlos that he didn't notice Kendall, James, Dustin, Mrs. Knight, and Officer Garcia enter the freezer. They stood behind a large metal storage rack full of various frozen meats.

"Now!" Officer Garcia said.

Dustin's dad turned around just in time to see the storage rack fall towards him. When the dust had cleared, they could no longer see Dustin's father. He was underneath there somewhere. It would be miraculous if he was still alive. There stood a great chance that he had been crushed to death though.

"Papi!" Carlos shouted, running into his father's waiting arms.

"Logan!" James and Dustin yelled in unison.

In no time at all, each boy was on either side of Logan's prone form. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Knight said, covering her mouth in horror.

"Logie saved my life," Carlos said.

Officer Garcia wasn't the least bit surprised. Words couldn't even begin to express the gratitude he felt towards the small child that lay bloodied on the floor. Jennifer was fumbling with her phone, calling 911. They hoped against hope that it wasn't too late. They hoped against hope that they could save Logan.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: As I was telling a reviewer, my current In-Progress stories are like if Big Time Rush aired on a network other than Nickelodeon. Like The CW perhaps. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

"Garcia, may I have a word with you?" Commissioner Williams said from the doorway to Logan's hospital room.

Officer Garcia quietly left the hospital room to go and have a chat with his superior. He knew he was in trouble. That much was for sure. After all, he had been taken off the case. He shouldn't even have been at the butcher's house. He should have just let Commissioner Williams and his men handle everything.

"I want you to hand me your gun and badge," Commissioner Williams said, holding out his hand.

Officer Garcia looked at Commissioner Williams in disbelief, silently begging him to reconsider.

"This is my career we're talking about here! My livelihood!" Carlos Garcia Sr. exclaimed.

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you went and deliberately disobeyed me!" Commissioner Williams retorted.

"I saved the lives of my son and his best friend! I did that! Not you! Not your men! Me!"

Commissioner Williams ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. The thick lenses of his eyeglasses falling slightly off his crooked nose.

"Garcia," Commissioner Williams said, lowering his voice. "You have incredible instincts. You can't teach that at the academy. Instincts are something you either have or you don't. The truth of the matter is you got lucky. You seem to have a knack for showing up at the right place at the right time. However, we have rules for a reason. There's protocol for a reason. Ever since you joined the force, I've held my tongue, but I'll hold my tongue no longer. You are pig-headed, stubborn, and defiant. You're a liability to not only me, but to the force, so again I ask you to hand over your gun and badge."

Carlos Garcia Sr. removed his gun from his holster. He fished his badge out of his pocket. He roughly shoved both items into the commissioner's chest.

"That kid in there," Carlos' father said, pointing towards the hospital room they had just left. "That little boy that almost lost his life today is the son of one of my best friends! I wasn't going to sit at home and do nothing!"

"That is _exactly_ what you should have done! I had taken you off the case!" Commissioner Williams interjected.

"Where were you and your men? Stuffing your faces with donuts?"

"I beg your pardon! Don't talk to me like that!"

"I'm no longer a part of the force! I can talk to you however I want!"

"We're done here!"

Commissioner Williams started to walk away from a very irate Carlos Garcia Sr.

"Just so you know, since out of the two of us, I'm the only one who can do my job, the kidnapper is in the freezer underneath an overturned metal rack," Carlos Garcia Sr. said.

Commissioner Williams spun around on his heels, and walked back over to Carlos' father.

"What did you just say?" Commissioner Williams asked.

"From the look on your face, I'd say that's news to you. Right. You don't need me at all," Carlos Garcia Sr. remarked sarcastically.

XXXXX

Kendall, James, and Dustin were alone with Logan in his hospital room. Carlos was in another hospital room being treated. Mrs. Knight was getting her shoulder looked at. The three children huddled around a sleeping Logan.

"He looks so small," James said.

Logan was hooked up to countless machines. Most of the time, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the ventilator breathing for Logan. The bullet had punctured his lung. The doctors were able to remove the bullet, but the damage had already been done; Logan couldn't breathe on his own.

"This is all my fault," Dustin commented.

Kendall walked over to Dustin. He placed a hand on Dustin's shoulder. As soon as he did that, he had an expression on his face like he wanted to remove his hand, but somehow, he managed to keep his hand there.

"Don't say that. You didn't do nothing wrong," Kendall replied.

Dustin looked at Kendall, blinking his teary eyes.

"Why you bein' so nice to me?" Dustin asked.

"Because," Kendall said right away before turning his head to the sky, deep in thought. "We _all_ care about Logie."

James kept one eye on Logan, and with his other eye, he looked over at Kendall and Dustin. He sighed in defeat. Kendall was right. All of them cared about Logie. That's probably the _only_ thing the three of them had in common too!

Kendall was startled when Dustin threw his arms around Kendall in a bear hug. Kendall could hear Dustin's muffled sobs as he buried his head in Kendall's chest and cried. Kendall honestly wasn't sure what to do. Never did he expect something like this to happen. He tentatively patted the back of Dustin's head.

Kendall looked over at James for help.

"Don't worry. _I'm _not gonna hug you," James commented to Kendall.

Kendall subtly gestured with his head towards a blubbering Dustin.

"Hey, that's all you! You're doin' great!" James said encouragingly, giving Kendall two thumbs up.

Kendall glared at James, but for the first time since Kendall had met James, there wasn't really anything genuinely malicious about it. James chuckled, and a small smile tugged on Kendall's lips.

XXXXX

Carlos Garcia Jr. was buried under a mountain of blankets. He kicked his legs in a futile attempt to rid himself of them. His father walked into the room and stopped him, placing a hand gently over his son's chest.

"Whoa! Easy there, tiger," Carlos' dad said.

"Papi!" Carlos said excitedly.

He went to hug his father, but he couldn't free his arms from underneath the blankets. His little pink tongue jutted out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the task at hand. After five seconds, he uttered a frustrated groan and gave up.

"How's my boy?" Carlos Garcia Sr. asked, throwing his son in a playful headlock.

"Oh no! Not that!" Carlos exclaimed, laughing as he tried to get out of said headlock.

Eventually, Carlos' dad let go. He gave his son a once over. He was very much relieved to notice that there actually was color to his boy's face, and not of the bluish variety either. He bit back laughter as he looked at his son. A little head sticking out from underneath a dozen or so thick blankets.

"What's so funny?" Carlos asked, curious.

"You," Carlos' dad replied.

Underneath all the blankets, Carlos managed to fold his arms over his chest. He pouted his lips and dramatically turned his head away from his father.

"Daddy!" Carlos whined. "Don't laugh at me!"

"I can't help it. You're so cute!" Carlos' dad responded.

He watched as his son's face suddenly took on a more serious demeanor.

"How's Logie?" Carlos asked.

That was the one question Carlos' dad hoped his son _wouldn't_ ask. How _do_ you tell your kid that his best friend needs a machine just to breathe? How _do_ you tell your kid that his best friend isn't out of the woods yet?

"He's resting," Carlos' father answered.

Carlos started to get agitated. "Whaddya mean he's resting? Did he die?"

Carlos' father gently soothed his son with quiet shushing noises. Carlos had been on the verge of hyperventilating having got the wrong idea from his father.

"He didn't die, son. He's alive. He's hanging in there. He's a fighter," Carlos' dad said.

"I want Mommy," Carlos whined.

XXXXX

"Mommy!" Kendall said excitedly as he ran into his mother's waiting arms…or one of her arms at least.

Kendall loved how his mother always got down on one or both knees so that she was at his level. Even though she _was_ taller than Kendall, a _lot_ taller than Kendall, she never made him feel like that.

"Are you okay?" Kendall asked as he eyed the weird contraption around her mother's injured arm that was a sling.

Kendall's mom chuckled. "I'm fine, honey," she said giving him a reassuring smile.

"Good cuz I was so worried bout you."

Mrs. Knight kissed the top of Kendall's forehead. As horrible as it was that she got hurt, as horrible as it was that Carlos and Logan got hurt, she was incredibly glad that her baby boy didn't get hurt as well. A mother's worst nightmare, heck a _parent's_ worst nightmare, was having their child get hurt.

"Dustin!" his foster mother shouted.

Dustin saw the sympathetic look his foster father gave him that was the polar opposite of the look of fury on his foster mother's face. He ducked his head out of fear. Usually when people raised their voice at him, it never ended very well.

"Don't you _ever_ sneak out on us like that! Do you understand me?" Dustin's foster mother said, shaking her finger at Dustin.

Dustin's foster dad wrapped his arms around his wife from behind, planting a loving kiss on the back of her neck.

"What she _means_ to say is that we're both so glad you're okay," Dustin's foster dad said.

Dustin's foster mom had half a mind to go off on her husband for always getting to be the good cop while she was forced to be the bad cop, but she thought this wasn't the time or the place. So instead, she walked over to Dustin, got down on one knee, and gave him a hug. Dustin's body tensed, not sure what to expect. Even during the embrace itself, he didn't exactly melt into the embrace like most children would.

Dustin wasn't sure what to make of all this. He wasn't used to having parents who actually gave a damn about him. Sure his foster parents dropped the ball when they inadvertently let him run away in the first place, but if today showed Dustin anything, it showed him that they really do care about him. He gave a tentative, appreciative smile, and hugged his foster mom back.

"Oh!" Dustin's foster mom said in startled surprise.

That was the first time Dustin had ever returned her embrace. That was the first time Dustin had ever returned _any_ adult's embrace in a really long time.

"Mommy! Daddy!" James shouted as he saw his parents in the doorway.

He headed straight for his dad, who promptly picked him up and spun him around and around in an airplane spin. James laughed the whole time. When James was placed back on solid ground, the adults couldn't help but laugh as James staggered around, dizzy as could be. Kendall rolled his eyes at James, and Dustin snickered.

XXXXX

Commissioner Williams and a handful of officers went back to the crime scene. When they responded to the 911 call, their only priority was getting everyone who needed medical treatment to the hospital. They didn't give the suspect any thought. For all they knew, he had already fled the scene of the crime when they arrived. Nobody told them any differently either.

There was a pool of blood on the floor of the freezer. Commissioner Williams' intuition was that the blood belonged to Logan. He clenched his right hand into a fist. It was these kinds of cases that always got under his skin. Adults hurting one another was one thing, but when they physically harmed little kids, that was inexcusable!

Commissioner Williams had yet to get anyone's formal statement about what had transpired. He had fully intended on doing just that while he was at the hospital, but then the _former_ police officer, Garcia, told him that the culprit might still be trapped in the freezer. Apprehending the suspect took precedence.

From what little he did know, he knew that both kids, Carlos and Logan, were held against their will in this walk-in freezer for some duration of time. This was where the suspect shot Logan. This was where Garcia and the others found Carlos and Logan.

He couldn't help but feel regret. If only he had discovered their location sooner. Maybe if he hadn't taken Garcia off the case, the whole force could have found the missing children together and sooner than they did apart.

He was a full grown adult and after ten minutes of being in the freezer, he was already cold; his teeth were already chattering. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much of an ordeal it must have been for two little kids.

Commissioner Williams saw the overturned metal rack Garcia had mentioned.

"Help me lift this," he instructed to his colleagues.

Together, they managed to stand the metal rack upright again. His eyes bugged out.

"There's no one here," he said out loud.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: I feel like I should tell you that I have reached a milestone recently; I have archived over a half a million words here under this pen name. That is crazy! Look out million. Here I come. Just…you know…not anytime soon. Lol.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

**In the Beginning**

It had been a week since Carlos and Logan had been rescued. Carlos had been released from the hospital. Today was the first day that Logan had been taken off the ventilator. He was finally breathing on his own.

Now that Carlos Garcia Sr. no longer had a job, he had all the time in the world to visit Logan at the hospital while Carlos was at school. He was there for the first words Logan had spoken since being rescued.

"How come my mommy hasn't visited me yet?" Logan asked, eyes sparkling with tears.

There was a tightness in Carlos' dad's chest as Logan words pierced through his heart. He had expected Logan to ask about his "mommy" sooner or later. Even so, he wasn't prepared for Logan to ask; how can anyone really prepare to deliver that kind of news to a child so young?

"Come here, buddy," Carlos Garcia Sr. said, patting his knee.

He picked Logan up and sat him on his lap. He wrapped an arm around Logan, supporting his back. He had been dreading this moment. He had been secretly hoping this moment would never come, but he should have known better.

"Your mommy is…well, she's up in Heaven watching over you," he explained as delicately as possible.

"But people only go to Heaven when they…" Logan started to say before a look of discovery appeared on his face. "Oh."

Logan buried his face in Carlos' father's chest and cried his little eyes out. His small frame was rocked by one violent sob after another. Carlos Garcia Sr. was almost brought to tears himself as he bore witness to the tragic sight before him. He kissed the top of Logan's head.

"Why…does…everyone…keep…leavin…me?" Logan sobbed.

"Logie, look at me," Carlos Garcia Sr. said gently.

Logan looked at him with teary eyes. He could see the myriad tear tracks all over the little boy's face. His lips were quivering as he fought to hold back his sobs. He didn't want to cry anymore, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. You have so many people who love you. My wife and I love you. Carlos loves you. James loves you. James' parents love you. Dustin loves you. Kendall loves you. Kendall's parents love you," Carlos' dad said.

However, Logan said nothing in response. He said nothing and he did nothing in response. All he did was continue to cry into Carlos' father's shirt, soaking it with countless tears.

XXXXX

The class was out on the playground. Carlos made a beeline for Dustin, and shoved him to the ground out of the blue. Kendall and James were surprised by Carlos' behavior, but no one was more surprised than Dustin. He looked up at Carlos from his perch on the ground in shock.

"Logie got hurt cuz of _your _daddy!" Carlos yelled.

Kendall grabbed Carlos around the waist and was holding a squirming Carlos back as he tried to kick and scratch his way to Dustin.

"Carlitos, calm down," Kendall whispered in Carlos' ear.

"I can't control what my daddy does! I wish he wasn't even my daddy!" Dustin exclaimed, picking himself up off the ground.

Tears of fury and sadness leaked from the corners of Carlos' little eyes. He wanted Logan back. He missed Logan. He had to blame someone, and since Dustin's dad wasn't there, blaming Dustin would have to do.

"If Logie never met you, none of this would've happened!" Carlos hollered.

Tears filled Dustin's eyes as well. Part of it was because what Carlos was shouting at him was really hurtful. Part of it was because he found some truth in what Carlos was saying. If he hadn't met Logan, then Logan would never have met Dustin's dad. If Logan hadn't met Dustin's dad, he wouldn't have been kidnapped, and wouldn't be in the hospital right now.

"Oh yeah? Well you were with Logie the whole time! Maybe if you took better care of him, he wouldn't _be_ hurt!" Dustin screamed back.

Carlos squirmed more than ever. He hated that Dustin blamed him, but more importantly, Carlos blamed himself; Dustin blaming him just served as a reminder of how much Carlos himself was to blame. After all, Logan got hurt because he was trying to protect Carlos. He should have been the one to be shot, _not_ Logan.

Dustin felt someone tap him on the shoulder. As soon as he turned around, a fist connected with his jaw, knocking him to the ground. As he was in freefall, he noticed for the first time who his attacker was. Dustin couldn't believe his eyes. It was James of all people.

"Take it back!" James demanded.

It wasn't clear who was more surprised that James came to Carlos' aid; Kendall or Carlos. It was safe to say that neither boy expected James to stick up for Carlos. James surprised himself even.

"What is going on here?" Ms. O'Haire asked as she walked over to the feuding boys.

XXXXX

Dustin's father was parked outside the Garcia residence in a silver sports car that he stole. He couldn't risk being seen in the light blue van again. He noticed that only the family's van was parked in the driveway. Carlos' father's car wasn't there. That meant that he wasn't home.

"I took your job from you, and now it's time to take your wife," Dustin's dad said, as he opened the driver's side door.

He didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself, so he didn't even bother to close the door behind him. He quietly walked up the driveway. He peeked in the window to make sure the coast was clear, and then proceeded to the front door.

"Locked," he said, frustrated.

He picked up a decent sized pebble off the ground and chucked it at the glass on the front door.

From the kitchen, Sylvia Garcia could hear the sound of glass shattering coming from the front of the house somewhere. Her immediate response was that someone was trying to break in. Her heart raced as she took a knife out of the wooden cutlery block.

She tiptoed her way through the hallway leading to the front door. When she got to the front of the house, she saw that the door was wide open. A feeling of dread washed over her. Whoever tried to break in was probably in her house right now.

She felt a hand clamp around her forearm. Someone had snuck up behind her and was trying to force her to slit her own throat. As the blade drew nearer and nearer to the delicate skin of her neck, she fought back with greater urgency, but she was quickly losing the battle. Her attacker was too strong for her. With her free arm, she elbowed her attacker in the face.

Dustin's father clutched his nose painfully as blood squirted out of it. Sylvia took this opportunity to scurry up the stairs. She quickly made her way to the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She picked up the phone on the nightstand and went to call the cops, but she quickly realized that the line was dead. Little did she know that Dustin's father had messed with the circuit breaker before he tried to break in.

Sylvia was horrified when she realized that her cell phone was downstairs on the kitchen counter. She had no way of calling for help even if she wanted to.

XXXXX

Carlos Garcia Sr. and his wife were so in sync that they could often feel what the other was feeling when they were feeling it. Right now, he could feel her panic and fear. This worried him to no end. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that his wife was in trouble.

He felt bad about leaving Logan at a time like this, but his soul mate could be in mortal jeopardy. What choice did he have? He scooped Logan up in his arms, and gently laid him back down in his hospital bed. He started to walk away, but was stopped when he felt Logan grab his arm.

In every way that mattered, Logan was like a second son to him, and Logan didn't need to say anything for Carlos Garcia Sr. to know what Logan wanted him to do; he wanted him to stay with him; he didn't want to be left alone. Logan silently begged him with his eyes, his bottom lip quivering.

"I'm going to be right back, okay? I promise I'll come straight here when I'm done," he said to Logan.

The most frightening thing to Logan right now was the thought of being alone. He didn't want to be alone. He already felt like he was cursed or something; everyone he loved had been taken from him; his parents, his grandma. Who was next? Maybe everyone else should steer clear of Logan altogether.

The former police officer wrapped his arms around the small child in a hug. He planted a quick kiss on the boy's forehead. He made it as far as the doorway when he heard a sound that pulled on his heartstrings. Logan whimpered.

He walked back over to Logan, and took his tiny hands in his.

"Something's wrong, Logan. I think it has to do with my wife. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself," he reassured the boy.

Logan didn't protest this time as Carlos Garcia Sr. left the hospital room in a hurry.

XXXXX

Sylvia Garcia was trapped in her own bedroom. She mentally prepared herself for what she knew awaited her in the very near future. She could hear the intruder jiggle the doorknob. Mrs. Garcia wasn't sure what to think when all was silent.

She held her breath, waiting for some noise, _any_ noise. She let out a scream as the door was kicked open, and Dustin's father entered the room.

"What do you want with me?" she cried out.

Sylvia still had a hold of the knife, and lunged at Dustin's dad. He was able to dodge the attack, and soon the two of them were in a struggle over the weapon. Dustin's dad ripped it from her, slicing the palms of her hands in the process. She hissed in pain as blood oozed out of the wounds.

Sylvia backed away from her attacker until her back was pressed up against the second story bedroom window. She cold feel the cool draft against her back.

"I got you now," Dustin's dad commented, smirking sinisterly.

Her hands felt like they were on fire. Even bending her fingers caused her a tremendous amount of pain. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about how she didn't have much longer to live. She would never get to tell her wife and son how much she loved them. She would never get to tell them goodbye.

Her thoughts then drifted to Logan. He had already lost so much in the five short years of his life. He had suffered more loss than some people had to endure in their lifetime. When his mother died, his grandma filled the void as a motherly figure. When his grandma was killed, Sylvia had taken on the role of mother to Logan. The child needed a maternal figure in his life, but who would be one for him when she couldn't be one any longer?

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Dustin's dad said.

Sylvia shuddered. The sound of his voice alone sent shivers up and down her spine. Of course, him brandishing a knife didn't help matters either.

"I may have shot Logan, but he wasn't my target. I was trying to kill that little boy of yours, Carlos," Dustin's father elaborated.

A fury Sylvia never knew she possessed came over her. She threw herself at her attacker, wrapping her bleeding hands around his throat, trying to crush his windpipes. Though caught off guard at first, Dustin's dad managed to put some distance between them when he shoved her off him, throwing her through the window.

As Carlos Garcia Sr. pulled into the driveway, he saw his wife dangling from the bedroom window.

"Hang on! I'm coming!" he shouted to her as he scrambled inside.

She was holding on with both hands. Jagged edges of glass dug into her forearms and only exacerbated the injuries to her hands.

"Now this kind of looks familiar," Dustin's dad said.

He walked over to the broken window, and stuck his foot up on the window sill, smashing the fingers on one of her hands. He ground his foot on Sylvia's appendages, causing her to scream out in agony.

"Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah! This is kind of how Logan's grandma looked before I shoved her down a flight of stairs and broke her neck," Dustin's father said.

Even though he had just confessed to a crime, he did it knowing that she wouldn't be around to tell anyone about it. At least that's what he thought.

"Don't feel too bad though. You'll be able to see her soon enough," Dustin's dad stated.

Carlos Garcia Sr. crept into the room undetected. He built up a head of steam and charged towards Dustin's father. He rammed into him with his shoulder, sending Dustin's father careening through the air, arms flailing wildly.

The ex-police officer peeked his head out the window. Dustin's dad lay face down on the pavement, a pool of blood that grew larger by the second amassing beneath him. He wondered if he was really dead this time. He certainly hoped so. Maybe this nightmare could finally be over.

"I'm slipping!" Sylvia screamed.

Carlos Garcia Sr. shifted his focus to more pressing matters. He pulled his wife to safety. His own hands and forearms were scraped up, and maybe it was due to the adrenaline flowing through him, but he couldn't feel any pain, just relief; relief that Dustin's dad was dead, relief that his wife was still alive.

Sylvia collapsed into her husband's arms, clinging onto him like her life depended on it. She fully gave into her emotions and wept. Her husband kissed her lovingly repeatedly telling her that it was over now. She was safe. He was safe. Carlos and Logan were safe. No one would hurt them again.

To Be Continued…


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: You know how I told you that there's a Kendall at my work? There's also a James, a Carlos, and a Logan. How funny is that? None of them look like our BTR boys though. Oh, and I LOVE reading fics on my iPhone using the Reader feature; it makes it look so professional and awesome! It's by the refresh button if you were wondering. Shutting up now.**

**Disclaimer: Ha, you wish I owned something!**

**In the Beginning**

Even though Logan had been home for almost a week now, it was almost like he wasn't even there at all. There was no spark in his eyes. Instead, his eyes were dull and practically lifeless. He never smiled, laughed, played or did anything except sit there or lay there and stare blankly off into space.

Today was going to be an especially difficult day for Logan; it was the day of his grandmother's funeral. As was starting to become tradition, Mr. and Mrs. Garcia had to physically get Logan out of bed as the little boy was perfectly content with staying in bed all day if he could.

Logan had become a shell of his former self, and Carlos didn't like it one bit. He wanted Logan back. The _real_ Logan! Not whoever this was! Sure he had an active imagination, but it wasn't very fun playing by himself all the time. Logan didn't want to do anything anymore, not even with Carlos.

Being the little five-year-old he was, Carlos thought it was because Logan didn't like him anymore. He couldn't understand. He still liked Logie. So why didn't Logie like him too?

Carlos was dressed in a small black tuxedo, white dress shirt, black clip-on neck tie, black dress slacks, and black dress shoes. He kept fidgeting with his neck tie as he wasn't used to wearing one, and it was making his neck all itchy.

Downstairs, Kendall, James, and Dustin were dressed in a similar fashion. They in addition to their parents were congregating in the living room. Carlos went downstairs to join them; Kendall and James were happy to see him, but Dustin was still a little wary of Carlos and James. Mrs. Knight gushed over how adorable the four boys looked in their cute, little formal attire.

"Where's Logan?" Brooke Diamond asked.

Mr. Garcia heaved a sigh. "He probably went back to bed. That's all the poor guy wants to do anymore."

All of the adults in the room in addition to all the children felt a swell of pity for Logan. He had already lost his parents. How was he supposed to say goodbye to his grandma as well? Someone so small shouldn't have to face so much loss so soon in his life that had just barely had a chance to begin.

Without exchanging a word, Kendall, James, and Carlos started heading up to Carlos and Logan's bedroom to fetch Logan. Dustin trailed behind, but was shoved backwards by James. Dustin looked up at James, who merely shook his head.

XXXXX

The three boys found Logan immersed underneath the covers, the comforter pulled over his head. The trio approached Logan's bedside, and pulled the covers back, revealing Logan's tired, bloodshot eyes. He didn't want to do anything but sleep, but he wasn't able to get any sleep no matter how much he wanted it.

They noticed how Logan wasn't even dressed yet. They needed to be at the funeral home in an hour. Logan was lounging in his bed in his pajamas still. No one quite knew what to say or do. Honestly, they thought that just their showing up together would be enough to get him out of bed. Obviously it wasn't.

"Logan, c'mon! Say sumthin'! Cry! Do _sumthin_'!" James encouraged.

Logan just rolled over on his side, turning his back on the three boys in the process. His eyes were still wide open, but he clasped his hands in front of him almost as if in prayer or something.

"Don't you know what today is?" Kendall asked, not really wanting to bring up the matter of Logan's grandmother's funeral.

"Are you…_mad_…at me?" Carlos asked, his bottom lip quivering.

His memory was fuzzy, but Carlos seemed to distinctly remember punching Logan while they were trapped in the freezer. Was that it? Was that why Logan wasn't talking to him? Was that why Logan wasn't being himself?

"I'm sorry, Logie! I'm _so _sorry!" Carlos exclaimed, throwing his arms around Logan's frame in a one-sided embrace, tears streaming down little Carlos' face.

Nothing. Logan didn't even so much as flinch. He said nothing. He did nothing. He just continued to lay there. For all they knew, he hadn't even heard anything that Carlos had just said to him.

"What's wrong with you?" Carlos asked, sniffling.

Still nothing. It was practically creepy how Logan didn't even blink. He just stared straight ahead. How was it possible for someone to go so long without even blinking? Carlos pulled back when Logan didn't give him the comfort he so desperately craved from him.

The boys heard someone clear their throat. They turned their heads to see Carlos' mom standing in the doorway, her hands still in bandages. Her eyes quickly found Logan, and she frowned deeply.

XXXXX

The funeral was over. The casket containing Grandma Mitchell had been lowered into the ground. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, except for Logan. He didn't shed a single tear throughout the whole ceremony. Mrs. Garcia had not only managed to get Logan out of bed, but she managed to get him into his tux as well.

"I'm sorry for your loss," a woman said to Logan.

Logan said nothing in response. He didn't nod his head. Anything. The woman gave Logan a sympathetic look before walking off. Kendall, Carlos, and James had formed a protective circle of sorts around Logan. Dustin watched from a distance. He wasn't able to get very close to Logan with Kendall, Carlos, and James standing guard.

The car ride back to the church where the reception was being held was spent in complete and utter silence. Mr. Garcia would occasionally look back to check on Logan as he drove. Mrs. Garcia had pivoted her body so that she continuously kept an eye on Logan. They didn't know what they expected Logan to do, but surely something had to give. Didn't it?

Carlos, who was sitting next to Logan, hugged Logan.

"It's okay, Logie. You got me and my mommy and daddy," Carlos said, smiling uncertainly.

He wasn't sure if he was _supposed _to smile. This was the first funeral he ever had been to. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act. Was he allowed to smile? Or was he supposed to be quiet and serious the whole time? Carlos didn't know if he could manage that. Besides, maybe if Logan saw him happy, he would be happy too.

Kendall and James were practically pouting as they watched from the back seats. They didn't think it was fair that Carlos got to sit next to Logan. The two of them _lived together_ for crying out loud!

"Hey Logie, guess what I found the other day at school when I was diggin' through the mud with a stick?" Carlos asked, his voice animated. "I found a wormy, and it was a big one too!"

Carlos then held his small hands away from each other to show Logan how big the worm was. He tried not to let it get to him that Logan _still_ wasn't responding to him.

XXXXX

They were eating dinner at the church where the funeral had been held nearly an hour ago. There were several long tables to accommodate all the guests. Carlos was sitting to Logan's left. James was on Logan's right. Kendall was sitting across from Logan. Dustin was sitting with his foster parents despite how he continued to watch Logan.

"Oops! You got a little mashed taters on your face, Logie!" Carlos said, flinging a gunk of mashed potatoes on Logan's face.

"Carlos Garcia!" Sylvia Garcia scolded, bolting up from her chair.

"What?" Mr. Garcia asked before quickly realizing it wasn't him his wife had been talking about.

Carlos stared intently at his plate, rolling a pea back and forth with his fork. He didn't like it when his mommy yelled at him. He was just trying to make Logan laugh…or maybe hit him. Yeah, even if Logan hit him, Carlos wouldn't complain. At least he'd react to something for a change.

"That was rude!" James remarked, wiping the potatoes from Logan's cheek with a napkin.

"You're rude," Carlos grumbled under his breath.

"No, you are!"

"No, you!"

"James!" Brooke Diamond shouted at the same time Sylvia Garcia shouted, "Carlos!"

Kendall, James, and Carlos couldn't believe their ears when they heard what sounded like Logan laughing. They all stared at Logan with wide eyes. They saw his eyes crinkle up and his dimpled smile as sure enough he was laughing.

"You two are so weird," Logan commented.

None of them were sure which was more music to their ears: Logan's laugh or his voice. They hadn't heard either in such a long time that they had nearly forgotten what either even sounded like.

"Logie!" Carlos exclaimed, launching himself at Logan, knocking him backwards in his chair.

Carlos had a bewildered Logan ensnared in a massive bear hug. He had a look of pure, unadulterated joy written all over his face now that Logan was Logan again.

"Are you _tryin'_ to kill him?" James remarked.

"It worked! I'm a genius!" Carlos boasted.

"Do you even know what genius means?" Kendall asked.

"Course I do! It means…It means…I rule!" Carlos answered.

Logan laughed for a second time; this laugh heartier than the previous one. After thinking he would never hear the sound again, Carlos was sure he could never get tired of hearing Logan laugh.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Carlos said to Logan.

XXXXX

"Psst, Logan," Carlos whispered in the pitch-black darkness.

Logan pulled the covers over his head. He was really tired. All he wanted to do was finally get some much-needed sleep. However, Carlos wouldn't shut up. On the one hand, it was nice to know how much Carlos cared about him, but on the other hand, it was freaking bedtime!

"Are you awake?" Carlos asked.

Logan thought that maybe if he just ignored Carlos, then he would shut up. The next thing Logan knew, Carlos was poking him with his finger.

"Hey Logie, if you're asleep, say something," Carlos said.

Logan immediately recognized the impossibility of the situation. He was rather caught off guard by Carlos' craftiness.

"Ha! I knew it! You _are _awake!" Carlos exclaimed.

"How can I not be with all your yappin?" Logan retorted groggily.

"Hey, scoot over!"

Logan felt Carlos crawl into bed next to him. He then noticed Carlos wrap his arms snugly around his waist. Logan could feel Carlos nestle his head into his chest. Even though Carlos probably couldn't see it, Logan smiled.

It wasn't long before Logan could hear Carlos' soft snores. He smirked as a thought came to him. Carlos might not like it, but what goes around comes around…

"Hey, Carlitos, are you awake?" Logan whispered.

"Very funny, Logie! Now go to sleep! You're not a very comfortable pillow when you talk!" Carlos commented.

"I never _wanted _to be a pillow! Sides you _do _know that you have your own bed, right?"

"I do this all the time at school! What's the big deal? Now, less talkin, and more sleepin!"

Logan chuckled to himself before falling into a peaceful slumber himself. Feeling safe in Carlos' arms, Logan didn't have any nightmares tonight.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Oh my gosh! That was such a hard chapter to write! Of course, it doesn't help that I feel like I'm going to cough up a lung. My dad got me sick, and it sucks! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Um…so my three fav songs from BTR's new album would be "No Idea", "Invisible", and "You're Not Alone." I have a thing for ballads…Oh, and I'm going to start a new poll. Which multi-chapter do you want me to write once I finish one of my two current multi-chapter fics (I'll probably finish In the Beginning first)? Here are your options:**

**Doppelganger: A cold case, a paranoid schizophrenic, and a case of mistaken identity. Viewer discretion is advised as this is a Logan torture fic…**

**Hold On: A Cargan fic. Logan gets his driver's license, and Carlos wants to immediately go on a road trip. The two end up rock climbing without proper gear, and they have a rock climbing accident. **

**Ultio Ultionis: Latin for revenge. One occupational hazard of having a father who is a cop is criminals and families of criminals will go through you to get revenge. This is like Doppelganger, but Carlos-centric.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

**In the Beginning **

Today was the day of Dustin's father's funeral. Dustin was one confused little five-year-old. His foster parents weren't going to the funeral. Carlos, Logan, Kendall, James, and their families weren't going to the funeral. The thing was Dustin kind of _wanted _to. Sure his dad was an evil man, but there had been some good in him; somewhere deep down. Dustin had seen it before.

Everyone in the town saw Dustin's dad as nothing but a drunk and a child abuser. And yeah, he had done some horrific things like abuse Dustin, and kidnap Carlos and Logan. Dustin shuddered at the memory of his father shooting Logan. But that didn't change the fact that this person was Dustin's _father_. He had brought him into this world. He had given life to him. So then, didn't he owe him to go to his funeral? Didn't he deserve to have at least _one _person show up at his funeral?

"Are you okay?" Logan asked.

Dustin blinked his eyes rapidly as he stared at Logan, who was in the playground. He was confused why Logan wasn't with Kendall, Carlos, and James. Almost as if he read his mind, Logan spoke again.

"You look sad," Logan pointed out.

"Today's my daddy's funeral," Dustin answered, wiping his runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

Logan fell silent. He didn't have any particularly _good _memories of Dustin's dad. After all, he was the one who kidnapped him and Carlos. He was the one who murdered his grandma. He was the one who physically abused both him and Dustin when he came over after school that one day.

"Do you…_hate _my daddy?" Dustin asked, begging Logan with his eyes to say 'no.'

Logan forced a smile. "Course not! I mean I didn't really like the guy," Logan said, playfully socking Dustin in the shoulder. It didn't quite get the reaction Logan had been going for. In fact, Dustin looked even sadder. "But I wouldn't say I _hated_ him. Sides, I know what it's like to miss your daddy."

Logan placed his hand on Dustin's shoulder, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. He even offered Dustin a small smile.

"Well, do you hate _me_? Do you blame me for what happened to you?" Dustin questioned, afraid to hear the answer.

"If I hated you, do you really think I'd be talkin' to you?" Logan replied.

Dustin's smile was as bright as a beacon. He startled Logan when he threw his arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. Logan had to catch his balance; not only did Dustin startle him, but he was taller and bigger than him too.

"Thanks, Logie! For bein' my friend!" Dustin said.

XXXXX

Kendall, James, and Carlos were in another part of the playground playing Power Rangers. Kendall was the red ranger. James was the blue ranger. Carlos was the black ranger. They were punching and kicking the air pretending like they were defending the playground from putties like their brightly-colored, spandex-wearing, superheroes do on TV.

Logan wasn't playing with them because he didn't want to be the pink or yellow ranger because they were _girl _rangers. All the _boy _rangers had already been taken.

Carlos tripped on his shoelace, face planting in the grass. The wind was briefly knocked out of him.

"I'll save you!" James said in his best superhero voice, as he punched and kicked his way over to his fallen comrade.

Carlos snickered to himself as he was perfectly fine letting James believe that he was being overwhelmed by Rita Repulsa's lowly minions than he tripped on his own shoelace.

"Look out! It's Goldar!" Kendall yelled, pointing at an unseen enemy.

James pulled Carlos to his feet. Then the three boys pretended to whip out their morphers.

"It's morphin' time!" Kendall said, holding his morpher out in front of him like they do on TV. James and Carlos followed suit.

"Mastadon!" Carlos shouted.

"Triceratops!" James yelled.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Kendall screamed.

XXXXX

Dustin watched sadly as Kendall, James, and Carlos frolicked in the grass. Logan couldn't see what was happening; his back was to his other friends. However, he did sense that something was wrong with Dustin. He pulled away, placing his hands on Dustin's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked.

"How come they don't like me?" Dustin replied.

"Who?"

Dustin spun Logan around so that he saw what Dustin had already seen: Kendall, James, and Carlos playing together. Dustin was jealous. The three of them were laughing, and it looked like they were having a good time.

"Um…" Logan said, wondering if Dustin would even want to hear the truth.

"You can tell me. I'm a big boy. I can take it," Dustin said, detecting Logan's hesitance.

Logan took a deep breath. Sure, Dustin said that now, but there was no telling what might happen _after _Logan spoke his mind.

"It's just…you're not the _nicest_ kid. Please don't hit me," Logan said, closing his eyes, and shielding his face with his hands.

Dustin chuckled. Logan cracked one eye open, splitting his fingers so he could sneak a peek.

"I'm not gonna hit you, silly!" Dustin responded.

Logan laughed nervously. "Oh. I knew that."

Logan's face then took on a more serious expression. Dustin put on this act like he was such a tough guy. But Logan's seen his more _vulnerable_ side before. Heck, he could see it now. At the end of the day, Dustin was just like any other kid; all he wanted was friends to play with.

XXXXX

Carlos spotted Dustin and Logan talking in another part of the playground. He didn't like seeing that. His small hands balled up into real fists.

"Over there! That chameleon needs our help!" Carlos shouted, pointing over at Logan.

So Kendall, James, and Carlos rushed over to the other side of the playground still pretending to be power rangers. It would help justify what they were about to do to Dustin for not leaving Logan alone.

"Leave Logan alone, you _monster_!" James yelled.

Dustin's eyes started to water. A part of him wanted to believe that they were only pretending. That they were still playing. Another part of him believed that they meant every last word.

Carlos grabbed Logan by the wrist and started to drag him away from Dustin.

"Carlos, what are you doin?" Logan cried out, squirming.

"We're tryin' to save ya!" Carlos answered.

If Logan was being completely honest with himself, he wasn't sure whether Kendall, James, and Carlos were just pretending or not. He wanted to give them the benefit of doubt, but then why was Carlos tugging on his wrist so hard?

Kendall punched Dustin in the gut, doubling him over. Dustin clutched at his stomach as he gasped for air.

"Stop it!" Logan urged.

James went to kick Dustin, but Dustin caught his leg. He hoisted a bouncing James off the ground, swung him around and then sent him careening into Kendall. The two boys were sprawled out on the grass on top of one another.

Logan saw the crazed look in Dustin's eyes. He knew that some switch deep within Dustin had been flipped. Carlos let go of Logan's wrist as he went to take a few swings at Dustin.

Dustin caught Carlos' fist, and was squeezing it in the palm of his hand. The sound of popping knuckles could be heard. Carlos dropped to his knees, his eyes full of tears.

"Ow! Stop it! You're hurting me!" Carlos wailed.

Logan rushed to Carlos' aid, trying to pry his friend's hand free from Dustin's unrelenting grip.

"That's enough!" Logan yelled at Dustin. "You're not your father!"

Dustin hesitated if only for a moment. His grip on Carlos' hand relinquished. Logan was too busy tending to Carlos' injured hand to notice Dustin's fist approach his face. There was a sickening crunch as bone clashed with bone. Blood squirted out of Logan's nose, and he fell to the ground.

"Logie!" Carlos called out as he cradled his frightened friend's head in his lap. He then looked up at Dustin with darkened eyes. "What's your problem?"

Dustin shook his head. He held his hands up to his face, and blinked in disbelief. He saw Logan's bloody nose, and how he was afraid of Dustin much like Dustin had been afraid of his father. Dustin didn't know what had come over him all of a sudden, but it terrified him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Dustin said, before running off in tears.

XXXXX

_Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. _Carlos kept bouncing a tennis ball against the wall of his bedroom. After hearing what happened at school, Carlos, like Kendall, James, and Dustin, were grounded by their parents. In Carlos' case, this meant that he had to sleep alone every night for a week. Meanwhile, Logan got to sleep with his mommy and daddy in their bed.

"This isn't fair," Carlos grumbled to himself.

The only time he got to see Logan when they were home was during meals when they ate together. Otherwise, Carlos was supposed to stay in his room with the bedroom door closed. He couldn't play video games. He couldn't play outside. He couldn't even watch television.

"_Violence is never the answer!" Sylvia Garcia said, shaking her finger at her biological son._

"_But I didn't do nothin!" Carlos countered._

"_Your teacher said you threw punches at Dustin!" Mr. Garcia exclaimed._

_Carlos crossed his arms over his chest. That didn't last long though as he started pulling on the fabrics of the living room carpet. His parents were sitting on the sofa having a 'talk' with him about his 'behavior.' _

"_Dustin started it! We were just playing Power Rangers, and he threw James into Kendall!" Carlos shouted._

_Sylvia Garcia cleared her throat, and Carlos gulped nervously, ducking his head._

"_Carlos Garcia, do not speak in that tone of voice with me!" she scolded._

_Mr. Garcia started chuckling. His wife rounded on him. He held his hands up innocently, though still smirking._

"_What are you laughing at?" Mrs. Garcia demanded of her husband._

_Mr. Garcia held his hand up to his face, and whispered to his son, "She's scary when she's mad, huh?"_

_Little Carlos bobbed his head up and down, earning another chuckle from the man of the house._

"_We are supposed to be disciplining our boy here, or have you already forgotten?" Mrs. Garcia asked._

_Carlos' father gestured towards his son with his hand. "He's just a little kid! You heard what he said; they were playing Power Rangers! I think it's cute!" _

"_There's nothing cute about Logan getting a bloody nose, is there?" _

_Logan was sitting on the staircase all by his lonesome self. Even though his new mommy and daddy told him that he hadn't done anything wrong, Logan still felt like he was being punished. Everyone else was in the living room. He rested his chin on the palms of his hands._

"_Now let's talk punishment. Actions have consequences, Carlos! That is why you are grounded for one week! No television! No video games! No playing outside! You are only to come down to eat or go to school. Do I make myself clear?" Sylvia asked, raising her voice._

"_But Mama!" Carlos protested._

"_Don't make me repeat myself!"_

_Carlos hung his head dejectedly. _

"_Yes, Mama," Carlos said glumly._

_As Carlos sauntered up the staircase, Logan wrapped his arms around him in a hug. It was rather one-sided, but Logan didn't seem to mind._

"_Logan, it's your turn," Mrs. Garcia said._

_Logan ducked his head. He thought he wasn't in any sort of trouble. Did they change their minds? Was he getting grounded too? For what? Getting punched?_

_Logan moseyed down the staircase, his tail between his legs._

"_Am I in trouble?" Logan asked timidly._

"_Of course not, dear. I just wanted to tell you that you're going to be sleeping with the two of us while Carlos is grounded," Sylvia said with a much quieter tone of voice._

"Night, Carlos!" Logan shouted.

"Night, Logie!" Carlos shouted back.

"Carlos, quit throwing that tennis ball at the wall! And why aren't your lights turned off? It's bedtime!" Sylvia's voice boomed.

Carlos rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically. He threw the tennis ball at the wall one more time for good measure before reaching over and turning off his lamp. Carlos looked over at Logan's empty bed on the other side of the room and frowned. This was going to be a long week.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: Okay, just for the record, I never intended on this story to cover all the years prior to the show's pilot. You know that movie X-Men Origins? This was supposed to be like that, but for Big Time Rush. That being said, this will probably end up around 24 chapters. Some things need wrapped up, but once that's done, so will the story. **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Just when I thought it couldn't get better, there's a Dustin at my work too. He's a cashier like me. The Big Time Rush boys are friends with Dustin Belt in real life. Why must I be taunted so? Oh, and there's this place called Carlitos next to the movie theatre I went to today. I swear I'm not even looking for these things! **

**Disclaimer: This is only for entertainment purposes.**

**In the Beginning**

Dustin showed up to class with tears in his eyes. This didn't seem to bother Kendall or James too much, but Logan was concerned. Even Carlos was a little worried. The two of them approached a sobbing Dustin.

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah. Why are you crying?" Logan questioned.

Dustin was too much of an emotional wreck to say anything, so he decided to let his actions speak for themselves. He walked up to Logan, and threw his arms around him in an embrace. Carlos, Kendall, and James were on edge as they kept a careful eye on Dustin, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.

"Dustin, c'mon! What's wrong? You're startin' to scare me," Logan commented.

Dustin pulled back from Logan, his eyes sparkling with tears. He sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"Today's my last day of school. I'm movin' to Seattle," Dustin answered, before completely losing it again.

Logan pulled Dustin to him this time, wrapping his arms around him. He was starting to lose it as well. Tears sprang to his eyes. Logan didn't know where Seattle was, but he knew that it wasn't anywhere in Minnesota.

"But you can't leave! You and I are friends!" Logan exclaimed, clutching tightly to Dustin.

Ever since his foster parents told him he would be moving, Dustin had been dreading this day. A part of him thought that maybe if Logan hated him, it would be easier for him to leave Logan behind. At least that's why Dustin kept telling himself he punched Logan the other day.

After several seconds, Logan pulled back from Dustin. He had one hand firmly on Dustin's shoulder. He used the back of his other hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. Logan didn't know what to make of this all. He had never had anyone leave him before.

"I'm gonna make this your best last day ever! I'll do whatever you wanna do," Logan said, giving Dustin a small smile.

"Yeah, me too!" Carlos chimed in.

Dustin gave Carlos a surprised look. He thought Carlos hated him. Dustin just figured that Carlos was only being nice to him because after today, he wouldn't have to put up with him anymore. Dustin kind of wished that Carlos didn't tag along. He kind of wanted to spend his last day of school with Logan and only Logan.

Carlos was being nice to Dustin because today was his last day. There was more to it than that though. Carlos wanted to spend time with Logan because he hadn't been able to, having just finished his sentence being grounded. He was willing to put up with Dustin if it meant spending time with Logan. What really shocked Carlos though was that he actually _wanted _to be nice to Dustin because if roles were reversed, he would want people to play with him on his last day of school.

XXXXX

Kendall and James were seething with anger as they watched Dustin interact with Carlos and Logan. Their fists were clenched as they hung at their sides. They gritted their teeth together. They were staring at Dustin so intensely that it was almost like they were trying to stare a hole through him.

"I bet he's just fakin' it!" Kendall commented. "He's probably not even really sad!"

"Who does he think he is? Carlitos and Logie are _our_ friends! Why can't he get his own?" James remarked.

Kendall turned to look at James. It seemed as though the two of them had a mutual understanding. The two of them shared a common enemy in Dustin. It was very weird for Kendall. In a way, he and James were actually kind of sort of bonding over this.

"What about me? Am I your friend?" Kendall asked.

But all good things must come to an end. James shrugged his shoulders.

"You're okay, I guess," James answered honestly.

Kendall gasped, appalled.

"I'm okay? _Just_ okay? Fine! Be that way! You know what, James? You're not even _okay_ to me! You're…you're…whatever's worse than okay!" Kendall hollered at James.

James waggled his fingers, clearly unimpressed.

"Ooh! You told me!" James remarked sarcastically.

"Go…go…jump off a tree!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Ladies first!"

"What did you call me?"

"What, did your mommy forget to clean your ears?"

Kendall shoved James, who in turn shoved Kendall. The next thing they knew, they were having a shoving contest. James was fully prepared to add insult to injury though.

"I'm…I'm…Kendall, and when I'm mad…mad…I talk…talk…like this!" James said mockingly.

"Knock it off!" Kendall whined, shoving James extra hard.

Ms. O'Haire made a beeline for the feuding boys. She gave an annoyed groan. Why did these two insist on making her job so difficult?

"No shoving in the classroom!" Ms. O'Haire reprimanded.

XXXXX

"Tag! You're it!" Carlos said happily, tapping Dustin on the shoulder before scrambling off, laughing.

As soon as Carlos realized that Dustin wasn't chasing him, he went back over to Dustin, concern on his face. Logan had never left Dustin's side in the first place.

"Do you not wanna play tag? Cuz we can do sumthin' else if you wanna," Carlos said.

Dustin shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sorry you guys, but I don't really feel much like playin' anything," Dustin replied.

Logan draped an arm over Dustin's shoulder, pulling him close to him. Dustin didn't know how exactly to respond to this. He didn't understand Logan at all. Why wasn't he afraid of him? Why had he forgiven him for all the bullying he had done to him?

"Do you wanna talk 'bout it?" Logan asked.

Dustin shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it because it would only make him cry, and he didn't want to cry in front of Carlos and Logan anymore. They both already probably thought he was a big crybaby.

"Well, what _do _you wanna do then? Whatever it is, I'll do it with you even if it's nothing at all," Logan said.

"I'm gonna miss you, Logie…_so _much!" Dustin commented, before burying his face in Logan's shoulder and crying.

Dustin's back was to Carlos, but Logan's wasn't; he had a clear view of Carlos. Logan saw how left out Carlos felt as he watched Dustin seek comfort from Logan. Carlos knew that Logan and Dustin shared a bond with each other because they went through a terrifying experience together. It was similar to how he and Logan shared a bond with each other having both been kidnapped by Dustin's father.

"I'll miss you too, Dustin. Try not to think of this as a goodbye though, 'kay? Think of it…as a see ya later," Logan said, hoping that one day he would in fact see Dustin again.

XXXXX

Carlos meandered his way over to Kendall and James just as they got out of time-out. Kendall and James got on either side of Carlos, not wanting to be next to each other. Kendall blamed James for getting a time-out and vice versa.

"So, what's _his _problem?" James asked, gesturing with his head over towards a still crying Dustin.

"Today's his last day. He's movin' to Sea…somewhere. I forget where," Carlos answered.

"About time!" Kendall remarked.

Carlos elbowed Kendall in the ribs, and glared at him.

"Kendall, that's not very nice!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Oh, c'mon, Carlitos! You don't like Dustin either!" Kendall countered.

Carlos looked over in Dustin's direction at well, but in his case, it wasn't Dustin he was looking at; it was Logan.

"Yeah, but Logan does," Carlos replied.

"I never will get that," Kendall commented. "Logie just must have a bad taste in friends."

"Hey!" James protested. "Was that supposed ta be some sorta crack at me?"

"Ha! You wish! Not everything's about _you_, James!" Kendall retorted.

It was a good thing that Carlos was in the middle because Kendall and James were this close to going at it again.

"Guys, cut it out!" Carlos urged. "I have a feeling that after today, Logie's _really _gonna need us; All of us."

XXXXX

"I'm scared, Logie. What if no one likes me at my new school like Kendall, James, and Carlos don't like me?" Dustin asked.

The two boys were sitting on a wooden park bench, side-by-side, knees touching. Dustin was resting his head on Logan's shoulder.

"That's just cuz they don't know you like I know you. They only see you as a bully; a tough guy. I've seen the _real _you. I _like_ the real you," Logan answered.

Dustin didn't know what he did to deserve a friend like Logan. They really were the most unlikely of friends, especially considering how the first time they met, Dustin kicked Logan in the face with the blade of his skate.

Dustin playfully nudged Logan.

"You're the best!" he said brightly.

Logan blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands.

"I don't know 'bout that," Logan said modestly. "I think I just get you in a way that no one else does. I mean if anyone knows what it's like to lose all your family, it's me. I don't think your daddy was a bad guy. I really do think that deep down, he loved you. He was just a little lost. That's all."

Dustin turned to face Logan, sitting up straight all of a sudden. Logan saw something in Dustin's eyes that if he had to guess what it was, he would say it was hope.

"Do you really think so? Do you really think my daddy loved me?" Dustin asked.

"Course I do!" Logan answered without a moment's hesitation.

Dustin smiled a genuine smile. He certainly hoped that his daddy loved him. It's all a child could ever hope for. Every day was a constant struggle for Dustin because even though his father had beaten him, he was still Dustin's _father_, and Dustin missed him. He was all that Dustin had left after his mommy passed away, and now Dustin had no one. Well, that wasn't _entirely _true; Dustin had Logan, but soon he would be taken away from him too.

XXXXX

"Dustin, it's time to go. Say goodbye to Logan," Dustin's foster dad said when he came to pick Dustin up from school.

Dustin ran over to Logan, nearly knocking him over when he hugged him. It wasn't long before both boys were crying their little eyes out as they embraced each other one last time.

"Logie…" Dustin sobbed.

"I know, Dustin. I know," Logan said back.

It was a small wonder either boy was still standing. Both children were sobbing so violently. Their tiny shoulders heaved up and down as wave after wave of sobs coursed through their small frames. Neither boy could see past the myriad tears in their eyes, but somehow they knew that the other was still there…_for now_.

"I'm so sorry, Dustin, but we really need to be going," Dustin's foster dad said as he physically had to pry the two boys apart.

"No! Lemme go! Logan!" Dustin cried out, reaching out to Logan.

Logan grabbed hold of Dustin's hand, and he was holding on with all his might, but he could feel Dustin's fingers slowly but surely start to slip out of his hand. Then, just like that, he couldn't feel Dustin's fingers in his hand at all.

Logan had a horrible feeling of déjà vu. First he lost his parents. Then he lost his grandma. Now he was losing Dustin. What had he done wrong? Why did everyone keep leaving him?

Logan ran over to the window, tears still streaming from his little eyes. He placed the palm of his hand on the window. Dustin placed the palm of his hand on top of Logan's from the other side the window. Then, Logan was helpless to do anything but watch as Dustin's foster dad took Dustin away from him.

To Be Continued…


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Wow, it's been even longer since I last updated this. Here I thought I'd finish this before Big Time Sick. Now it looks like the other way around or maybe I'll finish them at roughly the same time. After this update, they both have the same amount of chapters left.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

Carlos had his tiny face pressed up against the window pane as he was looking out the window. He was bouncing up and down in anticipation. His parents had let him have a sleepover, and Kendall and James were both on their way over. Carlos' parents thought having all of Logan's friends under one roof would be the best thing for him right now.

"Daddy, what time did ya say they were gettin here?" Carlos asked, his eyes never leaving the street.

Carlos' father chuckled. This was probably the millionth time Carlos had asked this very question in the past half an hour. He couldn't get over how adorable Carlos was being. It was odd that Carlos was practically bouncing off the walls when he hadn't had any sugar or caffeine that he knew of today.

"Not until five," came Carlos' dad's answer.

Carlos tore his gaze from the street long enough to search for the nearest clock. He found one on the coffee table in the living room. The shorter hand on the clock was in between the four and five. The longer hand on the clock was pointing at the eleven.

"Um…let's see…that's…uh…" Carlos trailed off, thoroughly confuzzled. He still struggled with telling time.

Carlos' dad walked over to his son, pulled off his helmet, wrapped an arm around him in a loose headlock, and proceeded to give him a noogie.

"Oh no! Not that!" Carlos protested, trying fruitlessly to squirm free.

Carlos' father let go of his son just as Carlos gave one huge tug. He stumbled backwards, falling flat on his back. Most kids Carlos' age would probably be crying by now, but not Carlos. As he looked up at his father, he saw that there were more pressing matters.

"Hey! Gimme my helmet!" Carlos exclaimed as he kept jumping up trying to grab his helmet that his father held _just _out of reach.

After jumping up four times and coming up empty, Carlos changed tactics.

"Mommy, Daddy won't gimme my helmet!" Carlos whined.

"Honey, give Carlos his helmet or you're sleeping on the couch tonight," Sylvia responded.

Carlos smirked triumphantly as his dad placed his helmet back on its rightful place. The father and son stuck their tongues out at each other. Then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Carlos called out.

"Carlos, sweetie, remember what we talked about. Ask who's at the door before letting them in," Sylvia reminded her son.

Carlos rolled his eyes, and folded his arms over his chest.

"But Mama, it's prolly just Kendall or James!" Carlos commented.

"Your mother's right. You can't just let everyone in the house," Carlos' dad added.

"You're just agreein with her cuz you don't wanna sleep on the couch tonight!"

There was a loud clatter in the kitchen after Sylvia dropped some pots and pans after hearing what Carlos just said. Kids really do say the darnedest things. She tried desperately to stifle her laughter.

"Fine! Kendall? Is that you?" Carlos called out.

Carlos' father slapped his forehead. Well, for what it was worth, Carlos asked who was at the door…sort of…

"Yeah. You gonna lemme in?" Kendall answered.

Carlos' dad helped Carlos unlock and open the front door. As soon as it was open wide enough for Carlos to get out, he tackled Kendall to the porch, his sleeping bag getting knocked out of his arms and coming to a teetering stop on the step of the front porch.

"Took you long enough!" Carlos remarked as he gave a now seated Kendall an extremely enthusiastic hug.

"Good to see you too, buddy!" Kendall responded, chuckling. He gave Carlos' dad a quizzical look, and he in turn merely shrugged his shoulders.

XXXXX

Logan was curled up in his bed buried underneath the covers. He had been told about the sleepover, but unlike Carlos, he wasn't excited. In fact, nothing really excited Logan anymore. Everyone was worried about him. He wasn't really eating or drinking all that much. He wasn't really sleeping all that well even though practically all he did when he was home was lay in his bed. It was actually why Carlos was so excited that Kendall and James were coming over; Logan never wanted to do anything with him. He didn't want to do anything, period.

But it wasn't anything personal. It wasn't anything that Carlos did. It wasn't anything that anyone did. Logan just missed Dustin. No one's really talked to Logan about Dustin moving, but then again, Logan hasn't really let anyone in either. He was just scared that anyone close to him would leave him just like his parents, his grandma, and Dustin did.

Even at school, Logan didn't really do anything. He didn't play with the others. He barely ate anything during snack time. He laid down to sleep during nap time, but he couldn't sleep.

Logan heard something tap the bedroom window. He rolled out of his bed, and walked over to the window. After pulling back the curtains, and opening up the blinds, he saw that James had climbed a tree, and was knocking on the window. Logan immediately opened the bedroom window.

"James, what are you doin?" Logan asked.

James thought it was a huge deal that Logan was even talking to him. It wasn't that Logan was ignoring the rest of them; it was just that his thoughts were with Dustin that it was all he could think about.

"I thought I'd come into the house this way. I saw the way Carlos welcomed Kendall, and I want no part of that, so I came up this way," James answered.

Logan nervously glanced from James to the front lawn two stories beneath James. The taller boy seemed to pick up on this, and decided to press his luck even further. With a grin on his face, he dangled precariously from the tree branch.

"James, what are you doin? You're gonna get yourself hurt!" Logan chastised, sticking his head out the window, and grabbing onto James.

"Oh," James replied, surprised. "You mean you care?"

Logan was briefly stunned into silence. James' stunt helped open his eyes.

"I never stopped," Logan admitted, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Logan helped James inside his bedroom window. Only when he was safely inside the house did Logan relax. James picked up on this as well, and it made him smile.

"I'm sorry for bein such a lousy friend lately," Logan apologized, lowering his head in shame.

"Aw Logie, you're not a lousy friend!" James said, before surprising Logan by pulling him into a hug.

Logan was beyond relieved to hear James say that. He slowly raised his head, and gave James a toothy grin.

"Ya mean it?" Logan asked, hopefully.

"Course I do! You're the bestest!" James replied.

XXXXX

After eating some pizza, Carlos, Logan, Kendall, and James were in Carlos and Logan's bedroom watching Disney movies. They had their sleeping bags on the floor next to each other. Logan had Carlos on one side and James on the other. Kendall was on the other side of Carlos.

"Um…Kendall? Carlos?" Logan said in a small voice.

Kendall and Carlos turned their heads towards Logan, the movie completely forgotten.

"Yeah?" Carlos replied.

"What is it, Logie?" Kendall asked.

"I'm sorry for not bein very fun to be around lately," Logan said.

James reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Logan's shoulder. Logan reached up and covered James' hand with his own.

"It's okay, Logie," Kendall responded.

"You apologize too much!" Carlos commented.

Before Logan could so much as say anything in response, he was whacked in the face with a pillow courtesy of Carlos. Logan let out an 'Oomph!' He looked over at Carlos who had a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

Logan swiftly reached for a pillow of his own, and clipped Carlos in the back of his helmeted head with it. When Carlos looked over at him, Logan merely shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

It wasn't long before the four of them were engaged in a full on pillow fight. There weren't really any teams. It was pretty much every boy for himself. Laughter filled the room as the four children erupted in laughter as the war waged on.

Kendall, James, and Carlos were glad to see Logan smiling and laughing. They didn't doubt that Logan still missed Dustin, but at least they got him to focus on the friends he still had rather than the one who moved away. At least he was actually doing stuff with them again. And most importantly, for the first time since Dustin moved, at least Logan seemed happy.

When they finally tired themselves out, they flopped back down on their sleeping bags. The television screen was blue, the movie long since finished. Even so, none of the boys was really in much of a rush to put in another movie. Besides, they didn't know how. Carlos' parents did though, but they didn't want to bother them. They were perfectly content just being with each other.

Logan was the first one who drifted off to sleep. Carlos couldn't really blame him; he hadn't got much sleep lately. He was probably exhausted. He looked to his left and right and saw that Kendall and James were doing the same as him; watching Logan sleep. Carlos noticed how peaceful Logan looked when he slept. He knew too that was probably due to him, James, and Kendall. Carlos was glad that Logan had a good time. He chuckled when he noticed that Logan smiles in his sleep; his lips pulled upwards ever so slightly.

"Do you think he's gonna be okay?" James asked, whispering so as not to wake Logan.

"Course he will! He's got us! All of us!" Kendall answered.

Carlos scrambled out of his sleeping bag. Kendall and James traded baffled expressions with one another as the next thing they knew, Carlos was rummaging through his nightstand drawer.

"Whatcha doin?" Kendall asked.

"You'll see," Carlos answered, not looking up from his nightstand drawer for one second. "There it is!"

Before either Kendall or James could ask what Carlos was talking about, they saw Carlos hold a black Crayola marker in the air. That must have been what he was looking for. James and Kendall both unconsciously slid their sleeping bags further away from Carlos' sleeping bag. They had seen him color before, and not only did he not stay in the lines, but he always somehow ended up with marker all over him.

Kendall and James breathed a sigh of relief when Carlos sat down on the floor next to a slumbering Logan. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but perhaps that meant they were in the clear.

Carlos removed the marker's lid, and held the marker to Logan's face. Carlos' tongue jutted out of the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were full of intense concentration. Carlos gave Logan some cat whiskers with the black marker; three on each side of his nose. He put the lid back on the marker, and sat back, admiring his handiwork. He started snickering. Logan looked so silly with cat whiskers.

"What did ya do that for?" James asked, unsure if he should be mad at Carlos for drawing on his best friend.

"Ya look a lil tired there, James. Ya thirsty? I could getcha some warm milk," Carlos offered.

Kendall clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. James arched his eyebrows in confusion. He personally didn't understand what was so funny about Carlos offering to get him some milk.

"Kay. Sounds good," James answered.

Carlos didn't need to be told twice. He bolted to his feet. Kendall clambered out of his sleeping bag, and was hot on Carlos' tail, his laughter filling the hallway.

"Those two are so weird," James said, speaking to a sleeping Logan.

As Kendall and Carlos made their way down to the kitchen, Kendall said, "Ya know Carlitos, that's not gonna work on me now that I know what yer doin."

"Maybe, but I can stay up all night. Can you?" Carlos responded, excited about the challenge Kendall posed.

Kendall gulped nervously. He turned his head away from Carlos as he let out a huge yawn. He didn't understand why Carlos would draw on him. They were friends first! He didn't want to wake up with cat whiskers on his face!

"I saw that," Carlos pointed out.

"Saw what?" Kendall replied, chuckling nervously.

To Be Continued…


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Wow! It's been a long time since I last updated this fic. At any rate, this is the penultimate chapter. Hehe. I've been wanting to say that. Penultimate.**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

**In the Beginning**

And then there were two. Carlos' warm milk trick worked like a charm. Now, Logan and James were sporting matching cat whiskers, courtesy of Carlos. It was now a battle of endurance. This was one contest that Kendall couldn't afford to lose. He didn't want cat whiskers on _his_ face!

"You awake?" Carlos whispered.

"Yeah. You awake?" Kendall answered.

"Yeah. You?"

"Carlos, you already asked me that."

"Oh."

Kendall was grateful that it was pitch black in the room because his face was beet red as he snickered at Carlos' ridiculousness. Kendall wasn't sure whether or not Carlos heard him snickering, but he made no indication one way or the other.

"Are you tired?" Carlos asked.

_Nice try, Carlos! Nice try!_

"No way! I could do this all night!" Kendall lied. "You?"

"Sleep is for babies!" Carlos commented.

Kendall started snickering again. Only this time, he wasn't so discreet about it. He had a rather entertaining thought. Even though it was too dark to confirm this, Kendall was certain that Carlos was currently looking at him in confusion.

"So James and Logan are babies then?" Kendall asked.

"Total babies!" Carlos answered, smirking.

The two conscious kids spent the next few moments in comfortable silence. Naturally, each of them thought this silence meant the other had drifted off to sleep. Kendall felt his eyelids start to droop. He didn't understand how Carlos could have so much energy. It was like inhuman or something! How could someone _that_ energetic need so little sleep?

"Hey, I have a question for you, Carlitos," Kendall whispered.

Frankly, Carlos was bummed that Kendall was _still_ talking to him. If he was talking to him, then he couldn't possibly be asleep, could he? Unless of course he talks in his sleep. But Kendall doesn't talk in his sleep. Well, actually Carlos didn't really know. Most of the time Kendall was asleep, so was Carlos. There was no telling _what_ Kendall did in his sleep.

"What?" Carlos responded.

"How you gonna draw on my face when it's so dark in here?" Kendall asked.

"Who said I was gonna draw on your face?"

"What?"

"What?"

"…"

"…"

Kendall didn't believe for one second that Carlos was going to do _nothing_ to him once he was asleep. Carlos was the biggest prankster of the group. He was always doing everything he could to make people happy; even if he had to make them the hapless victim of a Carlos prank.

Carlos let out a huge yawn. He immediately became mad at himself. His mind was willing, but his body was being a party pooper.

"Did you just _yawn_?" Kendall asked, amused.

"You heard nothing!" Carlos retorted.

Kendall stifled a yawn of his own. Apparently, he _couldn't_ do this all night after all. Of course, he wasn't about to share any of this information with Carlos. Kendall was hopeful. Carlos yawned, which meant that he was tired too. Maybe just maybe Kendall could outlast Carlos.

Carlos was brainstorming ways he could prank Kendall. He couldn't just draw cat whiskers on Kendall's face like he had done with James and Logan. That simply wouldn't do. He needed to come up with something better; funnier.

In the meantime, Carlos decided to sing a lullaby to Kendall in the hopes of making him even sleepier than he already was.

"Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep little Kendall," Carlos sang.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! _Little_?! Who you callin little? You're littler than me!" Kendall countered.

"Not by much!"

"Yeah-huh, short stuff!"

Carlos folded his arms over his chest and pouted, taking offense to Kendall's new nickname for him. Maybe he was just a late bloomer or something. _Watch. I'll be taller than you, Kendall, when we grow up._

Kendall picked up on Carlos not speaking to him anymore.

"Aww! Is someone mad at me? Did I hurt someone's feelings?" Kendall said in baby talk.

"I'm not mad at you! I'm just not talkin to you!" Carlos retorted.

"You just did!"

With Carlos not speaking to him, it was hard for Kendall to determine whether or not Carlos was awake. For the first time, Kendall started to think about what he would do to Carlos should he stay awake longer than him. He relished the idea of out-pranking the prankster. Whatever he came up with had to make Carlos' pranks look like mere child's play.

Carlos was stewing in his sleeping bag. He couldn't tell if Kendall was still awake or not because he wasn't saying anything to him. Kendall wasn't even asking why he wasn't talking to him. Kendall wasn't even asking him to talk to him. Did he not _want_ Carlos to talk to him? _Well fine then! Maybe I don't want you talkin to me either, Kendall!_

Kendall decided to give in just a little bit. He wasn't going to sleep, but he _was_ going to rest his eyes for a little while. As soon as his eyelids closed, it felt _so _good! It was so blissful that Kendall forgot why he was even trying to stay awake in the first place!

Carlos hadn't heard any movement come from Kendall's direction in quite some time. His eyelids felt like they had sandbags on them. It was very much a struggle to even keep them open. Carlos started to think. If he happened to fall asleep before Kendall, would Kendall really do anything to him? Maybe he shouldn't try so hard to stay awake then. On that note, Carlos shut his eyes.

The stairs creaked as one of the boys tiptoed their way down to the kitchen moments later. Was it Carlos or Kendall though?

XXXXX

James and Logan woke up at roughly the same time; both of them sitting up in their sleeping bags. They had grins on their faces as they noticed the cat whiskers on the other's face.

"Nice whiskers, Logie," James said, smirking.

"Me? What about you?" Logan replied.

James' face took on a grave expression as he scrambled in search of the nearest mirror. Logan, on the other hand, didn't need a mirror. He saw the whiskers on James' face, so he merely assumed that there were similar whiskers on his face. Besides, James told him there were anyways.

James at long last found a mirror in the bathroom. He screamed like a girl, horrified at his ruined complexion. It didn't matter that Carlos hadn't used a permanent marker. Ruined was ruined.

"Carlos!" James screamed at the top of his lungs.

Carlos was startled awake. Heck, he didn't doubt that his mother and father were probably awake by now too. Maybe even everyone on the whole block. He saw a furious looking James looming over him. Carlos clamped a hand over his mouth as he tried to hold his laughter in. James would look much more imposing if not for those cat whiskers on his face.

"You think this is funny?" James asked, still furious.

Logan was cracking up, and when James turned his attention to him only to glare daggers at him, Logan pointed at Carlos, the real culprit. This didn't go unnoticed by Carlos either. _Thanks a lot, Logie!_

"I'm gonna tell your mommy and daddy what you did!" James exclaimed, before bolting out of the room.

"Tattletale!" Carlos shouted after him.

Kendall sat up in his sleeping bag. The first thing he noticed was that one of his hands was immersed in a cup of warm water. The second thing he noticed was that wasn't the only place where there was…wetness.

"Carlos!" Kendall hollered.

While Logan wondered why Kendall was suddenly angry with Carlos, Carlos was pretending to be clueless. He actually hoped that Kendall would go after him so that he could reveal himself to Logan. If Kendall's fury was any indication, Carlos' plan worked. It actually worked! He was a genius!

"Is something the matter?" Carlos asked, trying his darnedest to keep a straight face.

Kendall made a beeline for the bathroom, nearly colliding into James in the process. As soon as James saw Kendall, he forgot all about his own anger towards Carlos. He was pointing and laughing at Kendall. He wasn't the only one either. Carlos and Logan were laughing and pointing at Kendall too. It looked like he had a little…accident.

XXXXX

Carlos' parents sat Carlos down and had a little chat with him about pulling pranks. Even though Carlos' dad seemed more proud of his son than anything. Behind Sylvia's back, the father and son would give each other high fives.

"…Now I want you to go and apologize to James, Kendall, and Logan. Would you want them to pull something like this on you?" Mrs. Garcia asked.

Carlos shook his head.

"Oh no. They would never be able to pull something like this on me," Carlos commented.

"Carlos!" Carlos' mom said, raising her voice.

"Yes, mama."

Carlos trudged up the stairs, his head hanging low. He didn't understand why he was in so much trouble with his parents…well, his mom really. All he was doing was having a little bit of fun. There was no harm in that, right?

When Kendall, James, and Logan saw Carlos mope into the bedroom, they knew that things must not have gone very well for Carlos.

"So are you grounded?" Kendall asked. He wasn't really sure whether he wanted Carlos to be grounded or not. On the one hand, what Carlos did to him was really mean, so he deserved whatever punishment he got. But at the same time, if Carlos really _was_ grounded, there was no telling how long he would be grounded for. That was a scary thought.

"No. But I'm sorry for drawin cat whiskers on your faces James and Logan. And I'm sorry for making you…" Carlos said before he started cracking up all over again. "Makin you pee your pants!"

"It's not funny!" Kendall said, dramatically turning his head away from Carlos as his three best friends started laughing at him again.

To Be Continued…

**A/N: So this chapter was kind of short compared to some of my other ones, but the way I figure, a shorter chapter is better than no chapter, right? And personally, I think the boys (particularly Carlos and Kendall) were all kinds of adorable in this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. **


End file.
